Lawyers salary · New York

Lawyers Salary in New York

Lawyers in New York earn a median of $207,860 a year, which is $99.93 an hour. That is $48,190 above the national median of $159,670, a difference of 30 percent. The state employs 91,870.

Median in New York $207,860 $99.93 an hour · May 2025
US median $159,670
Jobs in New York 91,870

New York against the US May 2025

Lawyers in New York against the US, May 2025
FigureNew YorkUnited States
Median annual $207,860 $159,670
Median hourly$99.93$76.76
Mean annual$220,180$185,840
10th percentile$85,200$78,360
90th percentile$391,420$351,600
Employment91,870754,500

How New York compares

By median pay, New York ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for lawyers. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.

Other states for lawyers May 2025

StateMedianHourlyJobs
District of Columbia $195,190 $93.84 33,070
California $195,080 $93.79 95,770
Massachusetts $176,680 $84.94 23,560
Virginia $167,210 $80.39 18,580
New Jersey $161,430 $77.61 23,160
Illinois $160,800 $77.31 33,590
Pennsylvania $157,180 $75.57 27,170
Texas $154,200 $74.13 56,580
Georgia $134,830 $64.82 23,930
Florida $133,180 $64.03 55,210
Ohio $131,020 $62.99 19,950

Common questions

How much do lawyers make in New York?

The median salary for lawyers in New York is $207,860 a year, or $99.93 an hour. That is $48,190 above the national median of $159,670, a difference of 30 percent. New York employs 91,870 of them.

Is New York a good state to work as a lawyer?

On pay alone, New York ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.

What is the pay range for lawyers in New York?

The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $85,200 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $391,420 or more. The middle half falls between $127,580 and $322,120.

Where these numbers come from

Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 23-1011 in New York. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national lawyers salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.