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Earnings

Lawyers earn salaries that vary depending on the type, size, and location of their employers. Incomes generally increase as the lawyer gains experience and becomes better known in the field. The beginning lawyer in solo practice may barely make ends meet for the first few years.

Robert Half Legal, a national staffing firm, reports that first-year lawyers in law firms earned salaries that ranged from $79,250 to $126,500 or more in 2024, depending on the size of their firm. Lawyers with two to three years of experience earned salaries that ranged from $96,500 to $149,750; with four to nine years of experience, $107,500 to $170,250; and with 10 or more years of experience, $139,250 to $195,500 or more.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the May 2023 median salary for lawyers was $145,760, although some senior partners earned well over $1 million a year. Salaries ranged from $69,760 to $217,360 or more. General attorneys in local government received $132,290, while those work worked for local agencies averaged $106,420.

Lawyers usually receive paid vacations and holidays, sick leave, hospitalization and insurance benefits, and pension programs. Some employers also offer profit-sharing plans. Lawyers who have their own firms must provide their own benefits.