How much does an Attorney make?
Experience
- All years of Experience
- 0-1 Years
- 1-3 Years
- 4-6 Years
- 7-9 Years
- 10-14 Years
- 15+ Years
Industry
- All industries
- Legal
- Aerospace & Defense
- Agriculture
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
- Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
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- Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services
- Personal Consumer Services
- Education
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- Government & Public Administration
- Healthcare
- Information Technology
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Media & Communication
- Nonprofit & NGO
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- Real Estate
- Restaurants & Food Service
- Retail & Wholesale
- Telecommunications
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- Human Resources & Staffing
$131,314
/ yrThe estimated total pay for a Attorney is $131,314 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $101,347 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $29,967 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
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For Attorney
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Attorney?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Attorney | $131,314 /yr |
| Senior Attorney | $172,824 /yr |
| Attorney IV | $128,799 /yr |
Related Job Titles
For Attorney
Some related job titles are Attorney (In-house Counsel) Salaries with median pay of $136,434, Contract Attorney Salaries with median pay of $111,944, In-House Counsel Salaries with median pay of $160,897, Lawyer Salaries with median pay of $104,354.
Top Paying Companies
For an Attorney in United States
Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for an Attorney in United States. Employers include Willkie Farr, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Sheppard Mullin.
Top Paying Companies
For Attorney in United States
| 1 | Willkie Farr | $317,073 | |
| 2 | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | $289,888 | |
| 3 | Sheppard Mullin | $278,113 | |
| 4 | Milbank LLP | $273,641 | |
| 5 | Simpson Thacher | $266,500 | |
| 6 | Parker Poe | $262,425 | |
| 7 | Lowenstein Sandler | $258,315 | |
| 8 | Cooley | $254,634 | |
| 9 | Donovan Hatem | $246,521 | |
| 10 | Hunton Andrews Kurth | $246,315 |
For Attorney
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Attorney?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Attorney | $131,314 /yr |
| Senior Attorney | $172,824 /yr |
| Attorney IV | $128,799 /yr |
What are total pay estimates for an Attorney at different companies?
- Popular
- Most Reports
- Salary: high to low
- Salary: low to high
$226,430
/ yr
$117,141
/ yr
$119,440
/ yr
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$150,799
/ yr
$114,875
/ yr
$96,353
/ yr
$166,032
/ yr
$194,454
/ yr
$148,442
/ yr
$163,328
/ yrAttorney Salaries
Top Paying Industries
For an Attorney in United States
The top 5 paying industries for an Attorney in United States are Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $183,099, Information Technology with a median total pay of $180,643, Real Estate with a median total pay of $169,300, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $168,756, and Telecommunications with a median total pay of $167,255.
- Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$183,099
24% Higher than other industries
Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
The top paying company in Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology for Attorney is Johnson & Johnson.
Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview
What is the pay outlook for Legal?
The legal field is expected to see continued demand to meet increased regulatory and tax compliance needs in the future. Employees will increasingly work with artificial intelligence and automated services, with workers shifting towards advisory roles rather than document review. Companies are expected to shift more work to in-house legal staff and away from law firm partnerships due to the high cost of outside counsel. Most work in the field requires higher education and offers above-median pay.
Recent Salaries Shared
For attorney
Job Title
Location
Total Pay
Base Pay | Additional Pay
Total Years of Experience
Years at Recent Employer
Submitted
Date or Time
United States of America
| 10-14 years
/yr
$92K | $5K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/yr
$130K | $5K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
$250K | $50K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
Attorney pay FAQ
The national average salary for an Attorney is $101,347 per year in United States. Filter by location to see an Attorney salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 22536 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by an Attorney employees.
The highest salary for an Attorney in United States is $166,169 per year.
The lowest salary for an Attorney in United States is $61,812 per year.
If you are thinking of becoming an Attorney or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of an Attorney.
Pay for attorneys remains high, as they typically face tight deadlines, long hours, and significant barriers to entry. Prospective lawyers must hold a Juris Doctorate degree and pass their state’s bar exam. Partners at law firms receive partial ownership of the firm, which entitles them to a portion of its profits. Other firm employees, as well as corporate in-house counsel and government employees, are usually paid a standard salary. Some attorneys receive further contingency fees when they win a case.
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Join thousands of real professionals anonymously talking about salaries in their industry
Compensation for attorneys varies dramatically depending on factors like geographic location and type of legal practice. Approximately 71% say they're satisfied with how much they earn in the field. A potential additional pay of $29,976.58 for attorneys can come from benefits like profit-sharing.
Join thousands of real professionals anonymously talking about salaries in their industry
Attorneys make approximately $101,397.44, which increases to $131,374.02 after bonuses and profit-sharing benefits. Brand-new attorneys lean more toward a minimum total pay of $79,226.91, and you'll have the potential to reach $221,114.56 after gaining experience and showing your litigation skills. As you progress through your career as an attorney, you can earn certifications and expand to new practice areas to increase your salary.
Learn more about negotiating salaries from thousands of other real professionals
Staying on top of legal trends can help you decide where to focus your energy to make more money as an attorney. Some of the highest-paid specialty areas include patents and intellectual property law, mergers and acquisitions, and health care. In many states, you can pass a special bar exam to get certified in various practice areas, which will increase your earnings as you illustrate your ability to bring more business to your practice. You can also work as a staff attorney and work your way up to an executive role as a chief legal officer.
You can negotiate a higher salary by understanding how much attorneys jobs pay in the city where you plan to practice. As a new graduate of law school, emphasize volunteer work and leadership roles that reflect your commitment to serving your clients as an attorney. If you've sought board certification in specialty areas, make sure you factor the additional preparation and education into your salary expectations. Since first-year associates usually get about a 7% raise, ask for about 15% if you're switching to a new firm and you've already been an attorney for a few years.