Money · 1 of 5
What lawyers make
Median for all lawyers
$159,670
Bottom tenth
$78,360
Top tenth
$351,600
The federal wage survey has one line for lawyers, not one for criminal defense. The all-lawyer median is $159,670 a year and the bottom tenth earn $78,360 or less and the top tenth $351,600 or more (2025 federal wage survey). It covers every kind of lawyer, from public defenders to partners at corporate firms.