Lawyers pay in California
$230,040avg. a year
$110.59 an hour · 95,770 employed
Lawyers in California earn an average of $230,040 a year. That is $44,200 (24%) more than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $288,980.
$195,080Median pay
$110.59Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 24.
16,040 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$288,980
$138.94 an hour
2590 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$248,950
$119.69 an hour
341,580 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$241,500
$116.10 an hour
418,470 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$237,060
$113.97 an hour
58,020 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$203,680
$97.92 an hour
6370 jobs
Modesto, CA
$195,450
$93.97 an hour
7290 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$193,770
$93.16 an hour
890 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$193,170
$92.87 an hour
91,220 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$191,100
$91.88 an hour
107,620 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$187,020
$89.91 an hour
111,570 jobs
Fresno, CA
$183,920
$88.43 an hour
12490 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$181,830
$87.42 an hour
13700 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$178,720
$85.93 an hour
14380 jobs
Salinas, CA
$178,560
$85.84 an hour
15110 jobs
Napa, CA
$175,280
$84.27 an hour
16220 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$170,980
$82.20 an hour
17350 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$169,270
$81.38 an hour
18110 jobs
El Centro, CA
$157,830
$75.88 an hour
19120 jobs
Merced, CA
$156,900
$75.43 an hour
20610 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$155,160
$74.59 an hour
21270 jobs
Visalia, CA
$149,440
$71.85 an hour
2290 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$145,860
$70.12 an hour
23250 jobs
Redding, CA
$142,900
$68.70 an hour
24140 jobs
Chico, CA
$136,120
$65.44 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Lawyers pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| California | $230,040 | $110.59 |
| Nevada | $205,630 | $98.86 |
| Arizona | $157,190 | $75.57 |
| Oregon | $156,620 | $75.30 |
Related jobs in California
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$81,320
- Judicial Law Clerks$76,070
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$118,080
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$76,950
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$92,750
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in California?
The average is $230,040 a year, and the median is $195,080. That is $44,200 (24%) more than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$110.59 an hour on average; the median is $93.79.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($288,980), followed by Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA ($248,950). The lowest average among 24 metro areas with data is Chico, CA ($136,120).
How does California rank?
California ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national lawyers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.