Lawyers Salary in New York
Lawyers in New York earn a median $207,860 a year, +30% against the national median of $159,670; they and rank 1st of 51 states by median. Lawyers earn 3.5 times the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). New York pays more than every neighbouring state: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont range from $127,310 in Vermont to $176,680 in Massachusetts. New York employs 91,870 lawyers, 9.48 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.95 means the occupation is more concentrated in New York than nationally.
New York vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $40.96 | $61.34 | $99.93 | $154.87 | $188.19 | $105.86 | 91,870 | 9.48 | 1.95 |
| Annual | $85,200 | $127,580 | $207,860 | $322,120 | $391,420 | $220,180 | ||||
| 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
- 1st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.48
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New York'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 New York
13 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100.42 | $208,880 | $94,070 | $391,620 | 94,610 | 9.97 | 2.05 |
| Rochester, NY | $71.23 | $148,150 | $82,190 | $325,280 | 1,710 | 3.47 | 0.71 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $66.65 | $138,630 | $82,510 | $344,980 | 910 | 3.39 | 0.70 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $65.85 | $136,970 | $64,160 | $242,700 | 70 | 1.87 | 0.38 |
| Ithaca, NY | $65.20 | $135,610 | $80,470 | $310,050 | 130 | 2.66 | 0.55 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $63.13 | $131,310 | $82,090 | $263,130 | 3,180 | 7.07 | 1.46 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $62.88 | $130,800 | $72,040 | $225,100 | 2,930 | 5.48 | 1.13 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $62.55 | $130,100 | $72,470 | $304,610 | 250 | 2.15 | 0.44 |
| Binghamton, NY | $62.25 | $129,480 | $76,700 | $249,320 | 300 | 3.04 | 0.63 |
| Syracuse, NY | $61.98 | $128,910 | $74,750 | $311,960 | 1,190 | 3.96 | 0.82 |
| Elmira, NY | $61.01 | $126,900 | $76,070 | $266,630 | 80 | 2.36 | 0.49 |
| Kingston, NY | $55.42 | $115,280 | $85,220 | $239,020 | 220 | 3.80 | 0.78 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $52.52 | $109,240 | $77,700 | $278,170 | 160 | 3.27 | 0.67 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $59.40 | $123,550 | $78,930 | $233,450 | 270 | 1.71 | 0.35 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $57.26 | $119,110 | $67,110 | $204,810 | 340 | 2.43 | 0.50 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $52.42 | $109,020 | $66,440 | $289,550 | 430 | 2.41 | 0.50 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $99.93 | $207,860 | 91,870 | 1.95 |
| Connecticut | $78.66 | $163,600 | 8,420 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | $84.94 | $176,680 | 23,560 | 1.33 |
| New Jersey | $77.61 | $161,430 | 23,160 | 1.11 |
| Pennsylvania | $75.57 | $157,180 | 27,170 | 0.92 |
| Vermont | $61.21 | $127,310 | 1,330 | 0.90 |
See the national page for Lawyers (every state ranked) and the New York 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 New York estimates.
- 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.