Pay, demand and where this field concentrates.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Legal occupations employ 1,305,620 people in the US with a median pay of $102,500 a year. BLS projects 2.9% growth to 2035 and about 82,600 openings a year.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 754,500 | $159,670 | $78,360 | $351,600 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | 392,880 | $62,890 | $44,740 | $101,500 |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | 48,580 | $58,650 | $38,170 | $90,830 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | 46,760 | $72,110 | $43,800 | $179,960 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | 24,030 | $153,990 | $46,950 | $221,710 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,370 | $117,860 | $61,110 | $207,480 |
| Judicial Law Clerks | 13,290 | $64,920 | $46,180 | $113,140 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | 9,210 | $75,530 | $47,220 | $155,440 |
Office and Administrative Support · Food Preparation and Serving Related · Transportation and Material Moving · Sales and Related · Management · Business and Financial Operations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Educational Instruction and Library · Production · Healthcare Support · Construction and Extraction · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Computer and Mathematical · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · Protective Service · Personal Care and Service · Community and Social Service · Architecture and Engineering · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · Life, Physical, and Social Science · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14,110 | 0.79 | $73,480 | -28% |
| Alaska | 2,220 | 0.81 | $106,550 | +4% |
| Arizona | 23,160 | 0.85 | $96,000 | -6% |
| Arkansas | 6,620 | 0.60 | $71,410 | -30% |
| California | 158,370 | 1.04 | $129,550 | +26% |
| Colorado | 26,740 | 1.11 | $119,510 | +17% |
| Connecticut | 15,550 | 1.09 | $100,960 | -2% |
| Delaware | 6,150 | 1.51 | $98,900 | -4% |
| District of Columbia | 41,700 | 7.08 | $195,190 | +90% |
| Florida | 109,140 | 1.31 | $81,850 | -20% |
| Georgia | 42,750 | 1.04 | $90,160 | -12% |
| Hawaii | 4,280 | 0.81 | $91,810 | -10% |
| Idaho | 5,650 | 0.78 | $74,310 | -28% |
| Illinois | 52,860 | 1.03 | $105,090 | +3% |
| Indiana | 17,660 | 0.66 | $83,430 | -19% |
| Iowa | 8,280 | 0.63 | $71,170 | -31% |
| Kansas | 7,720 | 0.64 | $82,400 | -20% |
| Kentucky | 10,580 | 0.63 | $78,470 | -23% |
| Louisiana | 17,160 | 1.06 | $77,250 | -25% |
| Maine | 3,980 | 0.74 | $82,490 | -20% |
| Maryland | 23,710 | 1.02 | $108,640 | +6% |
| Massachusetts | 35,100 | 1.15 | $132,990 | +30% |
| Michigan | 29,190 | 0.79 | $95,850 | -6% |
| Minnesota | 21,720 | 0.88 | $105,100 | +3% |
| Mississippi | 6,140 | 0.63 | $62,130 | -39% |
| Missouri | 21,470 | 0.87 | $81,870 | -20% |
| Montana | 4,180 | 0.97 | $83,620 | -18% |
| Nebraska | 5,950 | 0.69 | $84,620 | -17% |
| Nevada | 12,160 | 0.93 | $98,710 | -4% |
| New Hampshire | 4,090 | 0.71 | $88,610 | -14% |
| New Jersey | 38,190 | 1.06 | $114,270 | +11% |
| New Mexico | 6,160 | 0.84 | $88,510 | -14% |
| New York | 135,540 | 1.67 | $137,460 | +34% |
| North Carolina | 32,500 | 0.78 | $77,950 | -24% |
| North Dakota | 2,170 | 0.60 | $81,110 | -21% |
| Ohio | 34,550 | 0.74 | $92,830 | -9% |
| Oklahoma | 12,410 | 0.87 | $78,620 | -23% |
| Oregon | 13,890 | 0.84 | $91,790 | -10% |
| Pennsylvania | 47,170 | 0.93 | $96,230 | -6% |
| Rhode Island | 4,450 | 1.06 | $78,520 | -23% |
| South Carolina | 17,430 | 0.90 | $68,710 | -33% |
| South Dakota | 2,210 | 0.58 | $88,400 | -14% |
| Tennessee | 18,410 | 0.67 | $83,890 | -18% |
| Texas | 101,050 | 0.86 | $100,070 | -2% |
| Utah | 12,660 | 0.87 | $91,190 | -11% |
| Vermont | 2,200 | 0.86 | $100,730 | -2% |
| Virginia | 36,930 | 1.07 | $110,300 | +8% |
| Washington | 26,640 | 0.89 | $107,090 | +4% |
| West Virginia | 5,310 | 0.90 | $80,060 | -22% |
| Wisconsin | 15,670 | 0.63 | $88,760 | -13% |
| Wyoming | 1,730 | 0.73 | $64,990 | -37% |
Highest median pay among metropolitan areas with at least 5,000 jobs in this field.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 9,120 | $195,190 | 0.96 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 68,280 | $175,070 | 2.59 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 28,330 | $159,680 | 1.42 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 135,520 | $150,990 | 1.70 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,370 | $139,720 | 1.25 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 29,540 | $135,160 | 1.30 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 18,270 | $132,690 | 1.35 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 69,230 | $128,110 | 1.31 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 13,860 | $126,570 | 1.07 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 18,110 | $116,750 | 1.03 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 43,470 | $112,440 | 1.15 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 17,530 | $110,530 | 1.07 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 6,510 | $105,900 | 1.29 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 28,320 | $105,240 | 1.03 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 13,680 | $105,010 | 1.26 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 32,950 | $104,750 | 1.35 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 5,360 | $103,450 | 1.42 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 29,210 | $102,500 | 0.86 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 16,930 | $102,180 | 1.06 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 13,120 | $101,860 | 1.15 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 7,060 | $101,250 | 0.49 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 9,660 | $100,950 | 1.01 |
| Columbus, OH | 8,590 | $100,700 | 0.93 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 6,310 | $100,570 | 0.92 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 8,260 | $99,140 | 1.19 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 9,650 | $99,000 | 0.95 |
| Richmond, VA | 6,750 | $98,570 | 1.22 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 6,240 | $98,540 | 0.68 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 32,330 | $98,420 | 1.33 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 8,980 | $98,030 | 0.98 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 17,810 | $96,770 | 0.89 |
| Cleveland, OH | 9,830 | $95,200 | 1.14 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 7,850 | $94,750 | 0.83 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 6,750 | $94,720 | 1.05 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 8,170 | $94,480 | 0.89 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 9,470 | $89,320 | 1.01 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 7,310 | $85,990 | 1.17 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 45,200 | $85,030 | 1.91 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 11,290 | $84,570 | 1.00 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 5,560 | $83,390 | 1.24 |
The median is $102,500 a year across the field (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
1,305,620 in May 2025.