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. The National Association for Law Placement reports that first-year associate lawyers earned median first-year base salaries of $155,000 in 2019. This was an increase of 14.8 percent from 2017. Salaries ranged from $98,750 at firms with less than 50 lawyers to $180,000 at firms with more than 700 lawyers.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the May 2019 median salary for lawyers was $112,960, although some senior partners earned well over $1 million a year. Ten percent earned less than $59,670. General attorneys in the federal government received $139,720. State and local government attorneys generally made less, earning $94,050 and $106,990, respectively.
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.
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