DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 14,350 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 747,750 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Lawyers
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Shores, CA | $215,000 | +34.4% | 16 | 7 |
| Washington, D.C., DC | $200,000 | +25% | 27 | 17 |
| Menlo Park, CA | $200,000 | +25% | 47 | 21 |
| Redwood City, CA | $190,000 | +18.8% | 29 | 15 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $190,000 | +18.8% | 214 | 64 |
| New York, NE | $190,000 | +18.8% | 1,058 | 383 |
| East Palo Alto, CA | $190,000 | +18.8% | 18 | 5 |
| Boston, MA | $180,000 | +12.5% | 160 | 57 |
| San Francisco, CA | $180,000 | +12.5% | 340 | 151 |
| New York City, NY | $180,000 | +12.5% | 16 | 13 |
| New York, NY | $180,000 | +12.5% | 3,473 | 809 |
| Mountain View, CA | $180,000 | +12.5% | 60 | 18 |
| Cupertino, CA | $172,500 | +7.8% | 20 | 5 |
| Washington D.C., DC | $171,903 | +7.4% | 20 | 11 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $171,122 | +7% | 303 | 150 |
| Washington, DC | $171,000 | +6.9% | 406 | 155 |
| Washington DC, DC | $165,000 | +3.1% | 16 | 13 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $158,123 | -1.2% | 20 | 8 |
| Costa Mesa, CA | $156,312 | -2.3% | 11 | 8 |
| Redmond, WA | $155,775 | -2.6% | 26 | 6 |
| Seattle, WA | $152,000 | -5% | 155 | 33 |
| Houston, TX | $140,000 | -12.5% | 169 | 89 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $139,984 | -12.5% | 27 | 17 |
| Detroit, MI | $137,938 | -13.8% | 13 | 7 |
| Chicago, IL | $135,895 | -15.1% | 257 | 119 |
| Stamford, CT | $132,500 | -17.2% | 10 | 8 |
| Newport Beach, CA | $129,376 | -19.1% | 12 | 7 |
| SANTA MONICA, CA | $128,274 | -19.8% | 19 | 14 |
| Alexandria, VA | $127,504 | -20.3% | 22 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $125,000 | -21.9% | 16 | 10 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $190,000 | +81% | 1,218 |
| New York | $176,000 | -0.7% | 3,799 |
| District of Columbia | $172,403 | -10.2% | 488 |
| Massachusetts | $160,000 | -10.6% | 241 |
| California | $156,966 | -20.6% | 1,701 |
| Washington | $152,000 | 0% | 214 |
| Connecticut | $132,500 | -16.8% | 26 |
| Pennsylvania | $128,300 | +0.3% | 53 |
| North Carolina | $115,002 | -7.9% | 22 |
| West Virginia | $115,000 | +12.5% | 1 |
| Colorado | $110,000 | -34.5% | 32 |
| Illinois | $107,390 | -31.7% | 311 |
| Michigan | $98,571 | -22.1% | 83 |
| Virginia | $97,760 | -38.1% | 112 |
| Texas | $95,598 | -28.4% | 345 |
| Oklahoma | $92,700 | -6.2% | 1 |
| Hawaii | $92,290 | -20.5% | 7 |
| Ohio | $90,040 | -28.2% | 30 |
| Indiana | $89,000 | -31.6% | 15 |
| Montana | $88,088 | -12.6% | 1 |
| Mississippi | $88,000 | -5% | 3 |
| Delaware | $87,714 | -49.2% | 12 |
| Alaska | $85,280 | -35.7% | 1 |
| Florida | $85,000 | -33.5% | 468 |
| South Carolina | $84,000 | -19.4% | 4 |
| Rhode Island | $83,200 | -35.5% | 4 |
| New Jersey | $83,200 | -47.5% | 133 |
| Missouri | $82,578 | -33.5% | 24 |
| Arkansas | $81,390 | -6.4% | 11 |
| Wisconsin | $80,000 | -33.3% | 7 |
| Tennessee | $79,997 | -38.7% | 16 |
| Arizona | $79,560 | -40.3% | 15 |
| Oregon | $77,823 | -45% | 6 |
| Nevada | $76,960 | N/A | 25 |
| Utah | $75,000 | -40.3% | 13 |
| New Hampshire | $75,000 | -38.9% | 4 |
| Minnesota | $74,589 | -45.8% | 34 |
| Georgia | $70,000 | -44.6% | 99 |
| Maryland | $68,765 | -52.1% | 52 |
| Louisiana | $66,789 | -40.7% | 14 |
| Vermont | $66,500 | -34.2% | 4 |
| Alabama | $65,000 | -49.1% | 18 |
| New Mexico | $62,046 | -44.9% | 1 |
| Iowa | $61,000 | -43.5% | 5 |
| North Dakota | $59,862 | -43% | 1 |
| Kansas | $54,808 | -51.1% | 1 |
| Kentucky | $51,106 | -50.2% | 3 |
| Idaho | $49,999 | -51.1% | 3 |
| Maine | $48,000 | -52.2% | 3 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Lawyers positions, 4% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 10% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP | Other | $185,000 |
| White & Case LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| Shearman & Sterling LLP | Other | $180,000 |
| Latham & Watkins LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP | Other | $180,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP | Other | $190,000 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP | Other | $230,000 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Lawyers is Manufacturing at $193,138. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $98,353.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 14,350 DOL filings, the median salary for a Lawyers is $160,000, ranging from $95,000 to $190,000.
The 90th percentile salary is N/A according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Redwood Shores, CA offers the highest median at $215,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Lawyers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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