Money · 1 of 5
What lawyers make
Median
$159,670
Legal aid or small town
$78,360
Big firm partner
$351,600
The national median is $159,670 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $78,360. Be careful with the median: pay in this field is split in two rather than spread out. Large-firm associates and public defenders both count as lawyers and earn wildly different money.