How much does an Attorney make?

Updated Sep 15, 2022

Experience

Industry

$131,314 / yrTotal Pay
$101,347 / yrBase Pay
$29,967 / yrAdditional Pay

$131,314

 / yr
$79K$221K
Most Likely Range
Possible Range

The 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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Total Pay Trajectory

For Attorney

$131,314 /yr
Attorney
$172,824 /yr
Senior Attorney
$128,799 /yr
Attorney IV
See Full Career Path

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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.

1
Willkie Farr
$317,073/yr
8
Cooley
$254,634/yr
Total Pay Trajectory

For Attorney

$131,314 /yr
Attorney
$172,824 /yr
Senior Attorney
$128,799 /yr
Attorney IV

Download as data table

What are total pay estimates for an Attorney at different companies?

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Jobs
Total Pay Range
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
AttorneySee 271 salaries from this location

$155,941

 / yr

$226,430

 / yr

$129,148

 / yr

$117,141

 / yr

$168,591

 / yr

$119,440

 / yr

$157,356

 / yr

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$203,762

 / yr

$150,799

 / yr

$119,824

 / yr

$114,875

 / yr

$153,949

 / yr

$96,353

 / yr

$118,464

 / yr

$166,032

 / yr

$194,454

 / yr

$207,980

 / yr

$148,442

 / yr

$224,642

 / yr

$163,328

 / yr
Download as data table
Viewing 1 - 20 of 10,000

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.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$183,099

    24% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$180,643

    23% Higher than other industries

  • Real EstateReal Estate$169,300

    18% Higher than other industries

  • Energy, Mining & UtilitiesEnergy, Mining & Utilities$168,756

    17% Higher than other industries

  • TelecommunicationsTelecommunications$167,255

    17% Higher than other industries

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology

The top paying company in Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology for Attorney is Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & JohnsonJohnson & Johnson$183,099/yr

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

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Attorney

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$96,563

/yr

$92K | $5K

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$58,500

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$70,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$110,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$135,000

/yr

$130K | $5K

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$300,000

/yr

$250K | $50K

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Attorney

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$110,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
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.