Attorney Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

About 761,000 attorneys are working in the US. Unemployment for workers ranks very low among occupations in the US. In 2008, 1% of employees were not able to find jobs.

Area Job Conditions

Popular cities for employees include Washington (District of Columbia), Tallahassee (Florida), and New York (New York), and the least popular are Blacksburg (Virginia), Bakersfield (California), and Merced (California).

Attorneys looking for high paying jobs should consider Rocky Mount (North Carolina), San Francisco (California), and Santa Rosa (California), and avoid Anniston (Alabama), Terre Haute (Indiana), and Las Cruces (New Mexico).

Training and Education

Employees often get a first professional degree before beginning their career. About 99% of attorneys have four year degrees. Workers that went to college (but did not get a bachelor's degree) are about 1% of the total. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Part-time attorneys are 6% of the total. Among workers, about 27% are self-employed.

Attorneys: An Introductory Video

Attorneys Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of attorneys compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for attorneys.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Birmingham	$130,000	2,440
Montgomery	$107,000	900
Mobile	$112,000	520
Huntsville	$109,000	400
Tuscaloosa	$97,000	210
Florence	$80,000	130
Dothan	$142,000	120
Anniston	$62,000	70
Decatur	$62,000	70
Gadsden	$121,000	70

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$98,000	680
Fairbanks	$109,000	100

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Phoenix	$124,000	5,770
Tucson	$104,000	1,570
Flagstaff	$81,000	150
Yuma	$78,000	120
Prescott		100
Kingman	$91,000	60

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Little Rock	$102,000	1,460
Fayetteville	$100,000	470
Fort Smith	$118,000	270
Jonesboro	$85,000	80
Pine Bluff	$73,000	60

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers
San Francisco	$156,000	9,820
Santa Ana	$150,000	6,110
San Diego	$129,000	5,970
Sacramento	$109,000	4,610
San Jose	$182,000	4,040
Oakland	$137,000	3,540
Riverside	$116,000	2,240
Fresno	$131,000	1,120
Oxnard	$142,000	880
Modesto	$137,000	440
Santa Rosa	$157,000	440
Salinas	$120,000	390
Stockton	$130,000	390
Santa Barbara	$149,000	320
Santa Cruz	$128,000	260
Bakersfield	$131,000	240
Vallejo	$108,000	210
Chico	$125,000	210
Visalia	$101,000	190
Redding	$89,000	170
San Luis Obispo	$113,000	170
Madera		110
Napa		100
El Centro	$106,000	70
Merced	$98,000	40

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Denver	$128,000	7,670
Colorado Springs	$88,000	650
Boulder	$106,000	610
Grand Junction	$90,000	220
Fort Collins	$122,000	170
Greeley	$79,000	140
Pueblo	$101,000	140

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Hartford	$127,000	3,570
Bridgeport	$123,000	2,530
New Haven	$126,000	1,150
Norwich	$123,000	300
Waterbury	$99,000	250
Danbury	$128,000	140

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$149,000	2,080
Dover	$107,000	180

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$145,000	38,000

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Miami	$117,000	7,220
Tampa	$115,000	5,830
Fort Lauderdale	$106,000	4,420
Orlando	$132,000	3,880
West Palm Beach	$141,000	3,480
Jacksonville	$116,000	2,030
Tallahassee	$97,000	1,630
Sarasota	$97,000	1,080
Cape Coral	$88,000	760
Lakeland	$107,000	660
Pensacola	$116,000	640
Deltona	$100,000	570
Palm Bay	$90,000	560
Gainesville	$71,000	530
Naples	$107,000	450
Port St Lucie	$93,000	430
Ocala	$79,000	310
Sebastian	$111,000	160
Fort Walton Beach	$103,000	150
Panama City	$70,000	140
Punta Gorda	$86,000	140
Palm Coast		60

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Atlanta	$138,000	12,180
Savannah	$102,000	360
Augusta	$103,000	270
Macon	$98,000	200
Albany	$114,000	160
Columbus	$89,000	150
Gainesville	$74,000	140
Athens	$64,000	120
Brunswick	$117,000	100
Rome	$115,000	80
Dalton	$61,000	70
Warner Robins	$75,000	60
Valdosta	$90,000	60

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$98,000	1,920

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Boise	$102,000	1,080
Coeur Dalene	$73,000	210
Pocatello	$81,000	150
Lewiston	$124,000	70

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Chicago	$143,000	25,350
Springfield	$95,000	430
Bloomington	$139,000	380
Peoria	$83,000	370
Rockford	$167,000	300
Champaign	$129,000	190
Decatur	$104,000	100
Danville	$101,000	80
Kankakee	$84,000	40

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Indianapolis	$102,000	3,340
Gary	$102,000	880
Fort Wayne	$91,000	430
South Bend	$74,000	300
Evansville	$79,000	290
Bloomington	$82,000	190
Lafayette	$88,000	150
Elkhart	$81,000	120
Anderson	$58,000	120
Terre Haute	$60,000	120
Columbus	$92,000	70
Kokomo	$79,000	70
Michigan City	$69,000	60
Muncie	$60,000	50

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Des Moines	$110,000	1,270
Davenport	$109,000	380
Cedar Rapids	$79,000	240
Sioux City	$116,000	170
Waterloo	$71,000	150
Iowa City	$72,000	130
Dubuque	$102,000	70
Ames	$83,000	60

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Topeka	$77,000	760
Wichita	$109,000	630
Lawrence	$90,000	80

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Louisville	$98,000	1,730
Lexington	$99,000	860
Bowling Green	$91,000	140
Elizabethtown	$101,000	80
Owensboro	$81,000	70

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New Orleans	$105,000	3,360
Baton Rouge	$84,000	1,500
Shreveport	$98,000	720
Lafayette	$103,000	630
Monroe	$65,000	310
Lake Charles	$102,000	180
Alexandria	$104,000	160

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Portland	$101,000	1,020
Bangor	$70,000	190
Lewiston	$87,000	130

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Baltimore	$129,000	5,640
Bethesda	$129,000	2,720
Hagerstown	$105,000	160
Salisbury	$106,000	140
Cumberland	$77,000	40

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Boston	$134,000	11,990
Springfield	$90,000	750
Worcester	$115,000	620
Framingham	$145,000	440
Lowell	$100,000	240
Brockton	$72,000	190
Barnstable Town	$123,000	170
Taunton	$110,000	160
New Bedford	$99,000	140
Lawrence	$116,000	130
Haverhill	$111,000	110
Leominster	$100,000	80
Pittsfield		70

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Warren	$125,000	5,770
Detroit	$125,000	3,260
Grand Rapids	$105,000	1,010
Lansing	$103,000	980
Ann Arbor	$114,000	580
Kalamazoo	$115,000	360
Saginaw	$89,000	270
Flint	$122,000	230
Muskegon	$101,000	170
Niles	$82,000	170
Holland	$91,000	150
Jackson	$87,000	120
Battle Creek	$84,000	90
Bay City	$88,000	70
Monroe	$71,000	70

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Minneapolis	$128,000	8,440
St Cloud	$92,000	420
Duluth	$100,000	330
Rochester	$138,000	140

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Jackson	$103,000	1,230
Gulfport	$130,000	260
Hattiesburg	$59,000	200
Pascagoula	$82,000	100

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers
St Louis	$116,000	5,480
Kansas City	$109,000	5,000
Springfield	$90,000	450
Jefferson City	$83,000	280
Columbia	$86,000	190
Joplin		100
St Joseph		70

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Billings	$86,000	310
Missoula	$77,000	250
Great Falls	$70,000	140

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$103,000	1,470
Lincoln	$92,000	580

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Las Vegas	$113,000	2,520
Reno	$140,000	760
Carson City	$102,000	220

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Manchester	$96,000	650
Portsmouth	$93,000	160
Nashua	$93,000	130

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Newark	$128,000	7,100
Edison	$130,000	4,080
Camden	$122,000	2,830
Trenton	$104,000	1,820
Atlantic City	$117,000	430
Vineland	$85,000	190
Ocean City	$83,000	140

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Albuquerque	$91,000	1,440
Santa Fe	$104,000	270
Las Cruces	$59,000	200
Farmington	$75,000	70

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New York	$156,000	52,680
Nassau	$122,000	6,790
Albany	$104,000	3,000
Buffalo	$107,000	2,320
Rochester	$103,000	1,610
Syracuse	$108,000	1,200
Poughkeepsie	$104,000	740
Binghamton	$84,000	290
Utica	$132,000	260
Kingston	$84,000	190
Ithaca	$105,000	100
Elmira	$98,000	80
Glens Falls	$83,000	70

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Charlotte	$122,000	3,200
Raleigh	$125,000	2,180
Durham	$110,000	820
Greensboro	$110,000	620
Winston Salem	$118,000	600
Asheville	$84,000	330
Wilmington	$76,000	260
Fayetteville	$97,000	250
Greenville	$109,000	170
Hickory	$99,000	160
Jacksonville	$80,000	90
Burlington	$87,000	80
Rocky Mount	$152,000	70
Goldsboro	$89,000	50

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Fargo	$121,000	270
Bismarck	$91,000	170
Grand Forks	$91,000	80

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Cleveland	$109,000	4,820
Cincinnati	$109,000	3,410
Columbus	$91,000	3,190
Toledo	$109,000	1,070
Akron	$105,000	870
Dayton	$120,000	730
Youngstown	$76,000	400
Canton	$85,000	320
Mansfield	$65,000	80
Lima	$105,000	70
Sandusky	$94,000	60
Springfield	$71,000	50

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Oklahoma City	$86,000	3,270
Tulsa	$108,000	1,630
Lawton	$63,000	70

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Portland	$104,000	3,470
Salem	$86,000	680
Eugene	$83,000	330
Bend	$80,000	220
Medford	$83,000	100
Corvallis	$90,000	40

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Philadelphia	$132,000	12,060
Pittsburgh	$115,000	4,600
Harrisburg	$103,000	1,860
Allentown	$94,000	820
Scranton	$97,000	540
Reading	$120,000	390
York	$92,000	370
Lancaster	$93,000	350
Erie	$115,000	260
State College	$108,000	120
Williamsport	$83,000	110
Johnstown	$85,000	60
Altoona		50
Lebanon	$91,000	40

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$116,000	1,910

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Columbia	$107,000	1,610
Greenville	$121,000	840
Charleston	$111,000	830
Myrtle Beach	$101,000	330
Spartanburg	$126,000	240
Florence	$63,000	180
Anderson	$114,000	80
Sumter	$95,000	60

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$88,000	290

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Nashville	$114,000	1,870
Memphis	$120,000	1,780
Knoxville	$99,000	900
Chattanooga	$148,000	810
Jackson	$122,000	160
Kingsport	$71,000	150
Clarksville	$93,000	80
Morristown	$91,000	50

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Houston	$136,000	9,440
Dallas	$138,000	8,780
Austin	$117,000	3,950
San Antonio	$108,000	3,070
Fort Worth	$114,000	2,200
El Paso	$124,000	740
Beaumont	$118,000	600
Corpus Christi	$108,000	540
Mcallen	$106,000	310
Lubbock	$76,000	290
Midland	$118,000	290
Waco	$115,000	270
Amarillo	$93,000	270
Tyler	$127,000	240
Brownsville	$84,000	230
Laredo		190
Longview	$109,000	150
Texarkana	$95,000	150
Abilene	$96,000	120
Killeen	$81,000	120
College Station	$90,000	120
Wichita Falls	$119,000	100
San Angelo	$54,000	90
Odessa	$110,000	80
Sherman	$109,000	70
Victoria	$76,000	50

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Salt Lake City	$125,000	2,910
Provo	$82,000	290
Ogden	$85,000	280
St George	$85,000	70
Logan	$121,000	50

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$103,000	480

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Richmond	$128,000	2,300
Virginia Beach	$125,000	1,770
Roanoke	$99,000	410
Charlottesville	$87,000	350
Lynchburg	$97,000	130
Harrisonburg	$111,000	70
Winchester	$129,000	70
Danville	$75,000	50
Blacksburg	$94,000	50

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Seattle	$121,000	6,740
Spokane	$91,000	810
Tacoma	$91,000	590
Olympia	$88,000	450
Bremerton	$84,000	190
Bellingham	$72,000	170
Kennewick	$92,000	140
Yakima	$81,000	120
Wenatchee	$98,000	60
Longview	$69,000	40

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Charleston	$92,000	1,050
Huntington	$85,000	230
Morgantown	$86,000	180
Wheeling	$89,000	130
Parkersburg	$92,000	80
Weirton	$115,000	50

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Milwaukee	$113,000	3,140
Madison	$113,000	1,160
Green Bay	$120,000	220
Racine	$94,000	180
Appleton	$89,000	180
Wausau	$128,000	170
Oshkosh	$140,000	150
Eau Claire	$123,000	130
La Crosse	$97,000	120
Janesville	$124,000	80
Sheboygan	$77,000	50

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$94,000	270
Casper	$124,000	90

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