Lawyers pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$288,980avg. a year
$138.94 an hour · 6,040 employed
Lawyers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn an average of $288,980 a year. That is $58,940 (26%) more than the California average of $230,040. The U.S. average is $185,840.
$301,320Median pay
$138.94Average hourly
+26%vs. California average
6,040Jobs in this metro
Other California metro areas
Average pay for lawyers in other California metro areas. Swipe to see all 23.
1590 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$248,950
$119.69 an hour
241,580 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$241,500
$116.10 an hour
318,470 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$237,060
$113.97 an hour
48,020 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$203,680
$97.92 an hour
5370 jobs
Modesto, CA
$195,450
$93.97 an hour
6290 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$193,770
$93.16 an hour
790 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$193,170
$92.87 an hour
81,220 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$191,100
$91.88 an hour
97,620 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$187,020
$89.91 an hour
101,570 jobs
Fresno, CA
$183,920
$88.43 an hour
11490 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$181,830
$87.42 an hour
12700 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$178,720
$85.93 an hour
13380 jobs
Salinas, CA
$178,560
$85.84 an hour
14110 jobs
Napa, CA
$175,280
$84.27 an hour
15220 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$170,980
$82.20 an hour
16350 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$169,270
$81.38 an hour
17110 jobs
El Centro, CA
$157,830
$75.88 an hour
18120 jobs
Merced, CA
$156,900
$75.43 an hour
19610 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$155,160
$74.59 an hour
20270 jobs
Visalia, CA
$149,440
$71.85 an hour
2190 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$145,860
$70.12 an hour
22250 jobs
Redding, CA
$142,900
$68.70 an hour
23140 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.
How San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroCaliforniaU.S.
California metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $131,660 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $103,080 |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | $95,550 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $126,220 |
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The average is $288,980 a year, and the median is $301,320. About 6,040 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the California average?
That is $58,940 (26%) more than the California average of $230,040.
Is this job common in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It makes up 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.10 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 23-1011. Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 41940). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.