Lawyers Salary in California (2025)

Official BLS OEWS data · May 2025 · 95,770 employed

Annual Mean

$230,040

$110.59/hr

Annual Median

$195,080

$93.79/hr

Bottom 10%

$97,950

$47.09/hr

Top 10%

$369,180

$177.49/hr

Location vs National Average

California

$230,040

Difference

+23.8% vs US avg

US National

$185,840

Salary Percentile Breakdown

Percentile	Annual	Hourly
10th Percentile Bottom 10%	$97,950	$47.09/hr
25th Percentile Lower quarter	$131,120	$63.04/hr
50th PercentileMedian Median	$195,080	$93.79/hr
75th Percentile Upper quarter	$277,140	$133.24/hr
90th Percentile Top 10%	$369,180	$177.49/hr

Salary Distribution

Annual Salary Range

10th

$98K

25th

$131K

Median

$195K

75th

$277K

90th

$369K

California has a large Lawyers workforce with approximately 95,770 positions, indicating strong demand for this occupation in the region.

In California, Lawyers salaries range from $97,950 at the 10th percentile to $369,180 at the 90th percentile — a spread of $271,230 (139% of the median). This wide range suggests significant variation based on experience and employer in this area.

Top Paying Cities in California

Metro areas with highest Lawyers wages

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$288,980

per year

Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA

$248,950

per year

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$241,500

per year

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$237,060

per year

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA

How Lawyers Compares in California

The average Lawyers salary of $230,040 in California ranks above the national average of $185,840. There are approximately 95,770 Lawyerss employed in California.