Legal United States
Legal salary in the US
Typical pay
$152,500a year
Most Legals earn $105k to $208k a year
From 4,041 current job postings, updated Nov 4, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Legal salary in the US is $152,500 a year. Most job postings pay $105,000 to $207,500. From 4,041 current job postings, updated Nov 4, 2026.
11,228 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by state
Pick a state on the map or in the table to see its cities, pay and open Legal jobs.
| Indiana | $205k | $120k to $258k | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $183k | $125k to $232k | 1,035 |
| Massachusetts | $181k | $130k to $212k | 151 |
| Oregon | $174k | $99k to $212k | 17 |
| North Carolina | $173k | $108k to $218k | 54 |
| Minnesota | $173k | $120k to $200k | 62 |
| New York | $170k | $118k to $215k | 732 |
| Washington | $168k | $118k to $225k | 137 |
| District of Columbia | $167k | $110k to $239k | 154 |
| Georgia | $164k | $108k to $211k | 53 |
| Illinois | $158k | $103k to $195k | 221 |
| New Jersey | $158k | $113k to $202k | 152 |
| Texas | $158k | $103k to $230k | 259 |
| Virginia | $155k | $97k to $211k | 123 |
| Colorado | $155k | $117k to $195k | 103 |
| Pennsylvania | $153k | $100k to $190k | 67 |
| Connecticut | $147k | $115k to $183k | 41 |
| Florida | $145k | $93k to $211k | 89 |
| Maryland | $145k | $93k to $202k | 49 |
| Utah | $143k | $99k to $188k | 17 |
| Ohio | $142k | $105k to $187k | 49 |
| Delaware | $141k | $95k to $269k | 13 |
| Nebraska | $141k | $86k to $190k | 11 |
| Kansas | $141k | $100k to $223k | 19 |
| Nevada | $139k | $73k to $175k | 18 |
| Tennessee | $139k | $73k to $185k | 19 |
| Arizona | $138k | $100k to $191k | 64 |
| Missouri | $137k | $108k to $183k | 21 |
| Iowa | $133k | $122k to $167k | 14 |
| Michigan | $128k | $97k to $180k | 33 |
| Wisconsin | $125k | $100k to $180k | 17 |
| New Mexico | $109k | $93k to $294k | 39 |
| Oklahoma | $63k | $60k to $96k | 14 |
| Alabama | – | – | 7 |
| Alaska | – | – | 2 |
| Arkansas | – | – | 7 |
| Hawaii | – | – | 1 |
| Idaho | – | – | 8 |
| Kentucky | – | – | 9 |
| Louisiana | – | – | 2 |
| Maine | – | – | 7 |
| Mississippi | – | – | 3 |
| Montana | – | – | 2 |
| New Hampshire | – | – | 9 |
| North Dakota | – | – | 3 |
| Rhode Island | – | – | 8 |
| South Carolina | – | – | 6 |
| South Dakota | – | – | 3 |
| Vermont | – | – | 7 |
| West Virginia | – | – | 1 |
| Wyoming | – | – | 1 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per year. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay in the biggest hiring cities
| San Francisco, CA | $212k | $162k to $256k | 497 | 279 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $209k | $156k to $242k | 155 | 104 |
| Boston, MA | $181k | $130k to $212k | 266 | 142 |
| Seattle, WA | $175k | $122k to $232k | 259 | 126 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $175k | $128k to $200k | 98 | 58 |
| New York, NY | $172k | $119k to $215k | 1,596 | 810 |
| Washington, DC | $170k | $111k to $232k | 739 | 238 |
| Denver, CO | $161k | $116k to $206k | 181 | 97 |
| Chicago, IL | $160k | $109k to $196k | 504 | 216 |
| San Diego, CA | $160k | $109k to $213k | 176 | 101 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $160k | $120k to $209k | 293 | 68 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $158k | $106k to $213k | 884 | 554 |
| Houston, TX | $158k | $103k to $217k | 332 | 70 |
| Dallas, TX | $150k | $100k to $215k | 516 | 110 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $138k | $101k to $203k | 206 | 55 |
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 394 job postings$62k $120k
Typical: $85k
Most new hires start near the low end.
- Experienced 1,650 job postings$109k $208k
Typical: $155k
- Senior 891 job postings$138k $220k
Typical: $180k
- Lead or manager 33 job postings$179k $287k
Typical: $218k
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Legal job postings in the US pay at it.
Experienced: most postings pay $109k to $208k a year, typically $155k.
Upload your resume to see where you land, which employers pay above this range, and the matching open roles.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical yearly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
| Employer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Recruiting | $166k | – | $163k | $188k | – |
| Wilson Elser | $183k | – | $175k | $205k | – |
| The Law Recruiters | $283k | – | $283k | – | – |
See every employer's pay
6 more employers hiring Legal roles. Free with a Workybara account.
Sign up freeHow much does a Legal make in the US?
Employers hiring now typically offer $152,500 a year for Legal roles in the US. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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