Lawyers Salary in California
Lawyers in California earn a median $195,080 a year, +22% against the national median of $159,670; they and rank 3rd of 51 states by median. Lawyers earn 3.3 times the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Nevada, Oregon and Arizona range from $134,260 in Arizona to $150,510 in Nevada. California employs 95,770 lawyers, 5.26 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.08 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $47.09 | $63.04 | $93.79 | $133.24 | $177.49 | $110.59 | 95,770 | 5.26 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $97,950 | $131,120 | $195,080 | $277,140 | $369,180 | $230,040 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $37.67 | $49.51 | $76.76 | $106.43 | $169.04 | $89.35 | 754,500 | – | – |
| Annual | $78,360 | $102,990 | $159,670 | $221,370 | $351,600 | $185,840 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.08
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.26
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for lawyers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $144.87 | $301,320 | $129,350 | $421,000 | 6,040 | 5.32 | 1.10 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102.17 | $212,500 | $98,280 | $375,580 | 18,470 | 7.78 | 1.60 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93.47 | $194,410 | $93,980 | $375,440 | 41,580 | 6.63 | 1.37 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $89.19 | $185,520 | $82,480 | $284,690 | 1,220 | 3.77 | 0.78 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $87.29 | $181,560 | $96,860 | $294,230 | 590 | 2.88 | 0.59 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $85.84 | $178,540 | $80,540 | $284,610 | 7,620 | 7.06 | 1.45 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $85.68 | $178,220 | $104,140 | $336,590 | 8,020 | 5.21 | 1.07 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $84.51 | $175,780 | $83,130 | $272,170 | 290 | 2.34 | 0.48 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $84.08 | $174,880 | $94,110 | $239,200 | 490 | 1.68 | 0.35 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $82.20 | $170,970 | $73,920 | $289,030 | 700 | 3.47 | 0.71 |
| Vallejo, CA | $81.98 | $170,530 | $77,020 | $286,680 | 220 | 1.55 | 0.32 |
| Napa, CA | $81.11 | $168,720 | $80,530 | $306,130 | 110 | 1.36 | 0.28 |
| Salinas, CA | $80.26 | $166,940 | $80,610 | $289,250 | 380 | 2.02 | 0.42 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $79.23 | $164,790 | $59,990 | $315,190 | 350 | 3.53 | 0.73 |
| Modesto, CA | $78.85 | $164,010 | $93,120 | $300,040 | 370 | 1.91 | 0.39 |
| Fresno, CA | $78.21 | $162,680 | $75,370 | $284,670 | 1,570 | 3.30 | 0.68 |
| El Centro, CA | $78.16 | $162,580 | $95,160 | $207,480 | 110 | 1.71 | 0.35 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $72.55 | $150,900 | $77,490 | $245,020 | 610 | 1.80 | 0.37 |
| Visalia, CA | $72.19 | $150,140 | $89,870 | $198,320 | 270 | 1.55 | 0.32 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $71.84 | $149,430 | $74,680 | $338,920 | 90 | 1.77 | 0.36 |
| Yuba City, CA | $67.17 | $139,710 | $56,260 | $225,510 | 90 | 1.85 | 0.38 |
| Merced, CA | $66.83 | $139,010 | $82,290 | $271,980 | 120 | 1.52 | 0.31 |
| Redding, CA | $64.38 | $133,900 | $78,110 | $211,580 | 250 | 3.46 | 0.71 |
| Chico, CA | $63.32 | $131,710 | $58,850 | $227,520 | 140 | 1.80 | 0.37 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | * | * | * | * | 3,470 | 2.02 | 0.42 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $78.83 | $163,960 | $98,950 | $212,310 | 100 | 1.58 | 0.33 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $68.08 | $141,610 | $95,840 | $219,090 | 180 | 1.69 | 0.35 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $63.05 | $131,130 | $66,060 | $228,630 | 220 | 2.06 | 0.42 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Lawyers (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.