The average salary for a lawyer in California is around $162,700 per year.
Lawyers earn an average yearly salary of $162,700.
Wages typically start from $81,620.
127% above national average Updated in 2021
Lawyer earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Lawyer salary by state
Hawaii | $99,880 |
Louisiana | $99,490 |
Iowa | $98,870 |
Nebraska | $98,870 |
West Virginia | $98,870 |
New Hampshire | $98,820 |
North Dakota | $95,840 |
South Carolina | $95,400 |
Oklahoma | $94,250 |
Kansas | $91,090 |
New Mexico | $90,000 |
Kentucky | $82,150 |
South Dakota | $81,240 |
Idaho | $80,860 |
Arkansas | $80,750 |
Montana | $80,750 |
Mississippi | $80,650 |
Maine | $80,450 |
Vermont | $78,480 |
Wyoming | $77,010 |
Puerto Rico | $58,660 |
District of Columbia | $172,490 |
New York | $164,180 |
California | $162,700 |
Massachusetts | $153,570 |
Rhode Island | $151,300 |
Delaware | $137,890 |
New Jersey | $132,660 |
Connecticut | $132,300 |
Virginia | $131,520 |
Texas | $131,150 |
Illinois | $129,090 |
Nevada | $128,370 |
Oregon | $128,000 |
Washington | $127,660 |
Colorado | $126,990 |
Maryland | $126,360 |
Minnesota | $124,560 |
Pennsylvania | $121,060 |
Virgin Islands, U.S. | $116,840 |
Wisconsin | $115,340 |
Alabama | $110,730 |
North Carolina | $105,140 |
Utah | $104,100 |
Georgia | $103,750 |
Missouri | $103,750 |
Alaska | $103,680 |
Guam | $103,010 |
Arizona | $102,390 |
Ohio | $102,290 |
Tennessee | $101,270 |
Michigan | $101,190 |
Indiana | $101,110 |
Florida | $100,420 |
How do lawyer salaries compare to similar careers?
Lawyers earn 29% more than similar careers in California. On average, they make more than detectives.
Lawyer salary | $163K |
Compliance manager salary | $151K |
Hearing officer salary | $135K |
Customs inspector salary | $104K |
Detective salary | $104K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)
How much do lawyers charge in California?
The typical lawyer in California charges between $164 and $422 per hour. Costs vary depending on the type of lawyer, so review our lawyer rates table to find out the average cost to hire an attorney in California.
Administrative | $306 |
Appellate | $352 |
Bankruptcy | $416 |
Business | $341 |
Civil Litigation | $333 |
Civil Rights/Constitutional Law | $398 |
Collections | $312 |
Commercial/Sale of Goods | $390 |
Construction | $218 |
Contracts | $307 |
Corporate | $374 |
Criminal | $260 |
Elder Law | $316 |
Employment/Labor | $362 |
Family | $330 |
Immigration | $276 |
Insurance | $248 |
Intellectual Property | $386 |
Mediation/Arbitration | $340 |
Personal Injury | $245 |
Real Estate | $350 |
Tax | $422 |
Traffic Offenses | $386 |
Trusts | $340 |
Wills & Estates | $346 |
Worker's Compensation | $164 |
About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2021)
Clio's hourly rate data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals using Clio. Each year, this data is analyzed and published within the Legal Trends Report, which provides ongoing, in-depth research into the most pressing issues faced by legal professionals.
Read the Legal Trends Report
The average hourly rate for a lawyer in California is between $164 and $422 per hour. The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in California is $330 per hour. What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in California?
How much does a family lawyer charge in California?
How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in California?
The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in California is $333 per hour.
What is the highest paid type of lawyer in California?
Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in California, earning $422 per hour on average.
What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in California?
Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in California, earning $164 per hour on average.