A typical U.S. lawyer makes $159,670 a year, the BLS median for May 2025. New law graduates start far lower, at a $95,000 median for the Class of 2024, while Big Law associates start at $235,000. Experienced lawyers in top firms earn $400,000 or more, and equity partners at the largest firms averaged about $1.94 million.
That spread is the main thing to understand about legal pay. It depends on where you start, how fast you climb and which path you choose. This guide walks through each career stage, from first-year associate to equity partner, with dated figures from NALP, the BLS and leading pay surveys.
How much does a lawyer make at each career stage?
The table below follows the classic law firm track. Associate figures use the Big Law scale that Milbank set in June 2026, which most top firms have matched. Partner figures come from Major, Lindsey & Africa’s 2024 Partner Compensation Survey of the 200 largest U.S. firms (2023 pay).
| Career stage | Typical experience | Pay (Big Law, unless noted) | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year associate | Year 1 | $235,000 base | Milbank scale, June 2026 |
| First-year associate, all surveyed firms | Year 1 | $200,000 median base | NALP, January 2025 |
| Mid-level associate | Years 3 to 5 | $270,000 to $385,000 base | Milbank scale, June 2026 |
| Senior associate | Years 6 to 8 | $410,000 to $455,000 base | Milbank scale, June 2026 |
| Counsel / of counsel | Varies | No public scale; set firm by firm | n/a |
| Non-equity partner | Often 8+ years | $558,000 average | Major, Lindsey & Africa, 2024 survey |
| Equity partner | Often 10+ years | $1,937,000 average | Major, Lindsey & Africa, 2024 survey |
Two warnings. First, these are top-of-market numbers. Most lawyers never work in Big Law. Second, the associate figures are base salary only. Year-end bonuses come on top.
What is the starting salary for a new lawyer?
NALP, the National Association for Law Placement, tracks what new graduates earn. For the Class of 2024, the national median salary for full-time jobs was $95,000, up 5.6% on the year before. The mean was $125,926.
The median for each sector tells you more:
- Private practice: $160,000
- Business: $100,000
- Government: $79,900
- Public interest: $72,000
- Judicial clerkships: $70,000
- Education: $64,000
Inside private practice, firm size changes everything. NALP found a $80,000 median at firms of 1 to 10 lawyers and $225,000 at firms of more than 500. About 34.2% of private practice jobs were at firms of more than 500 lawyers.
Why are lawyer starting salaries “bimodal”?
If you chart new-lawyer salaries, you do not get a single bell curve. You get two peaks. NALP’s Class of 2024 findings show:
- A left peak: 53.0% of reported salaries fell between $55,000 and $100,000. These are mostly small firms, government, clerkships and public interest jobs.
- A right peak: $225,000 alone accounted for 18.7% of reported salaries, and $215,000 for another 4.4%. These are Big Law offers.
Very few new lawyers earn the “average” salary in the middle. This is why the mean ($125,926) is misleading, and why you should look at where your target employers sit, not at a national number. If you are still weighing law school, our law school timeline guide covers the years before that first paycheck.
How much do mid-level and senior associates make?
At the largest firms, pay rises in lockstep by class year. The June 2026 scale, as published by firms matching Milbank, runs:
| Class year (2026 scale) | Associate year | Base salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 / 2026 | 1st | $235,000 |
| 2024 | 2nd | $245,000 |
| 2023 | 3rd | $270,000 |
| 2022 | 4th | $320,000 |
| 2021 | 5th | $385,000 |
| 2020 | 6th | $410,000 |
| 2019 | 7th | $440,000 |
| 2018 | 8th | $455,000 |
Outside Big Law, there is no public lockstep scale. Pay at mid-size and small firms is negotiated and often tied to billable hours or origination. The broad BLS spread is the best guide: in May 2025 the middle half of salaried lawyers earned between $102,990 and $221,370.
Does location change associate pay?
Yes, outside the very top firms. NALP’s January 2025 survey found a $225,000 median first-year salary in six cities: Austin, Boston, Houston, New York City, San Francisco and the Washington, DC area. Across the 19 cities it analysed, medians ranged from $170,000 to $225,000. Outside those major markets, the medians were $181,900 in the West, $170,000 in the Northeast and $160,000 in the South and Midwest.
What do counsel and partners make?
Counsel
“Counsel” or “of counsel” is a title for lawyers who are neither associates nor partners. The ABA describes the relationship as “close, regular, personal.” Firms set counsel pay individually, and no reliable public survey reports it. Do not trust websites that quote a single national figure.
Non-equity partners
Non-equity (or salaried) partners carry the partner title but do not own a share of profits. In Major, Lindsey & Africa’s 2024 survey of 1,718 partners, non-equity partners averaged $558,000 in 2023. More than half earned under $500,000.
Equity partners
Equity partners share in firm profits. The same survey found equity partners averaged $1,937,000, more than three times the non-equity figure. The median for all partners was $800,000. Originations, meaning the client work a partner brings in, explained 64% of the pay differences between partners.
At the very top, the 2026 Am Law 100 reported average profits per equity partner of $3.59 million for 2025, with Wachtell Lipton at about $12.15 million. Practice area matters a lot here. Corporate partners averaged $1.92 million, against $930,000 in labor and employment. Our ranking of which lawyers make the most money covers this in depth.
How much do public interest and government lawyers make?
Public service pays less than private practice, especially at entry level. NALP’s most recent public service salary report (published May 2024, data as of October 2023) found these medians:
| Role | Entry-level median | 11 to 15 years’ experience |
|---|---|---|
| Civil legal services attorney | $64,200 | $86,000 |
| Public defender | $69,608 | $106,883 |
| Other public interest organization attorney | $69,499 | $107,085 |
Government lawyers do better. BLS reported a $178,380 median for federal government lawyers in May 2025, $131,390 for local government and $115,330 for state government. You can browse public sector and other openings on the Legal Desire jobs board.
What about in-house lawyers?
Many lawyers move in-house after a few years at a firm. Major, Lindsey & Africa’s 2026 In-House Counsel Compensation Report, based on 641 U.S. placements in 2024 and 2025, gives these median base salaries:
- Senior counsel / counsel: $220,000 (median total cash $271,000)
- Associate or assistant general counsel: $277,000
- Deputy general counsel: $330,000
- General counsel, public company: $450,000 (median total cash $739,000)
For more on the top job, read our guide on what a general counsel does.
How does this compare in the UK?
In England and Wales, the key milestone is qualification as a solicitor. As of July 2026, Magic Circle firms paid London newly qualified (NQ) solicitors a base of £150,000, and some U.S. firms paid more. Trainee pay at leading City firms ranges from about £60,000 to £75,000. Our lawyer salary guide has the full UK comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lawyer make right out of law school?
NALP reported a $95,000 median salary for Class of 2024 graduates in full-time jobs. Graduates joining firms of more than 500 lawyers had a $225,000 median, while those at firms of 1 to 10 lawyers had $80,000. Where you land matters more than the national figure.
How long does it take a lawyer to make $200,000?
In Big Law, it happens in year one, with a $235,000 starting base on the June 2026 scale. Elsewhere it can take many years or never happen. BLS data for May 2025 puts the 75th percentile of all salaried lawyers at $221,370, so only about a quarter earn above that level.
Do partners make more than associates?
Usually, but not always. Non-equity partners averaged $558,000 in Major, Lindsey & Africa’s 2024 survey, which is close to senior associate pay in Big Law. Equity partners averaged $1,937,000.
What is the lowest-paid area of law?
Civil legal services is among the lowest paid. NALP found a $64,200 entry-level median for civil legal aid lawyers, rising to $86,000 after 11 to 15 years. Public defenders and other public interest lawyers earn somewhat more.
Is the median lawyer salary $159,670?
Yes. The BLS median annual wage for lawyers was $159,670 in May 2025. That figure covers salaried lawyers and excludes self-employed lawyers and partners who own their firms.
Bottom line
A lawyer’s pay depends far more on path than on years alone. Big Law associates start at $235,000 and can reach $455,000 by year eight. Most new lawyers, though, start between $55,000 and $100,000. Partnership, in-house leadership and government roles each offer different ceilings. Pick the path first, then check the numbers for that path.
This article is general information, not legal or career advice. Pay figures are drawn from the sources listed and vary by employer, location and experience.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Lawyers (May 2025 wage data): bls.gov
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 percentile estimates for lawyers (SOC 23-1011), retrieved via the BLS Public Data API (October 2026): bls.gov
- NALP, Jobs & JDs: Class of 2024 Selected Findings (2025): nalp.org
- NALP, 2025 Associate Salary Survey press release (28 May 2025): nalp.org
- NALP, Public Service Attorney Salary Survey (May 2024): nalp.org
- Above the Law, The Salary Wars Have Begun: First Firm Matches New Biglaw Pay Scale (June 2026): abovethelaw.com
- Major, Lindsey & Africa, 2024 Partner Compensation Survey (2024): mlaglobal.com
- ABA Journal, Average BigLaw partner compensation increased 26% in 2 years (29 October 2024): abajournal.com
- American Bar Association, Of Counsel: It’s Not Just Seniors Anymore (citing ABA Formal Opinion 90-357): americanbar.org
- Major, Lindsey & Africa, 2026 In-House Counsel Compensation Report (2026): mlaglobal.com
- National Law Review, 2026 Am Law 100: Kirkland Hits $10B, Wachtell Tops $12M Partner Pay (4 May 2026): natlawreview.com
- Legal Cheek, Baker McKenzie boosts NQ lawyer pay to £150k, matching Magic Circle (21 July 2026): legalcheek.com
- Legal Cheek, Macfarlanes matches Magic Circle with £150k NQ lawyer salary (July 2026): legalcheek.com
- Legal Cheek, Milbank pushes NQ lawyer pay to $235k (3 June 2026): legalcheek.com
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