Money · 1 of 5
What lawyers make
Median for the group
$159,670
Bottom tenth
$78,360
Top tenth
$351,600
The national median is $159,670 a year, the bottom tenth earn $78,360 or less and the top tenth $351,600 or more (2025 federal wage survey). These are the published figures for Lawyers as a whole, which includes government and public interest work. Corporate lawyers at large firms in big cities sit well above the median from their first year, and partners are far above the top of this range, because equity partners are owners rather than employees and are not counted the same way.