SOC 23-1011 · Legal
Lawyers prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $220,147 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA down to $113,547 in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, a spread of $106,600 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $151,986 | $220,147 | $288,309 | $356,470 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,605 | $177,944 | $226,304 | $274,643 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $115,648 | $176,051 | $236,454 | $296,858 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $108,347 | $174,595 | $240,843 | $307,091 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $106,662 | $165,464 | $224,245 | $283,046 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $115,814 | $159,536 | $203,237 | $246,958 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $101,546 | $152,360 | $203,195 | $254,010 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $102,502 | $144,560 | $186,597 | $228,654 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $93,558 | $143,229 | $192,899 | $242,570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $105,061 | $142,792 | $180,544 | $218,275 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $98,904 | $142,542 | $186,160 | $229,798 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $95,534 | $141,253 | $186,971 | $232,690 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $98,176 | $140,442 | $182,686 | $224,952 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $73,923 | $140,109 | $206,294 | $272,480 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $90,293 | $139,214 | $188,157 | $237,078 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $93,434 | $138,798 | $184,184 | $229,549 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $84,032 | $135,533 | $187,054 | $238,555 |
| Rochester, NY | $89,211 | $134,597 | $180,003 | $225,389 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $92,227 | $132,413 | $172,578 | $212,763 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $95,077 | $131,914 | $168,750 | $205,587 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $85,925 | $129,730 | $173,534 | $217,339 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $73,674 | $129,563 | $185,453 | $241,342 |
| Richmond, VA | $85,259 | $129,106 | $172,973 | $216,819 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $97,594 | $129,002 | $160,430 | $191,838 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $94,390 | $127,650 | $160,909 | $194,168 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $75,088 | $125,882 | $176,696 | $227,490 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $84,698 | $124,197 | $163,696 | $203,195 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $93,309 | $123,594 | $153,899 | $184,184 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $80,309 | $122,054 | $163,821 | $205,566 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $84,968 | $120,182 | $155,418 | $190,632 |
| Columbus, OH | $85,467 | $119,621 | $153,754 | $187,907 |
| Cleveland, OH | $79,872 | $119,600 | $159,307 | $199,035 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $78,374 | $118,747 | $159,120 | $199,493 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $83,928 | $118,269 | $152,610 | $186,950 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $76,315 | $117,832 | $159,349 | $200,866 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $78,541 | $116,251 | $153,941 | $191,651 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $79,414 | $114,005 | $148,595 | $183,186 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $72,592 | $113,901 | $155,230 | $196,539 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $68,266 | $113,547 | $158,808 | $204,090 |
39 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 287 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level I. The median wage actually offered was $225,000 a year, from 294 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 97 | 33.8% |
| Level II | 97 | 33.8% |
| Level III | 69 | 24.0% |
| Level IV | 24 | 8.4% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Lawyers with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.