Lawyers pay in Michigan
$148,820avg. a year
$71.55 an hour · 16,620 employed
Lawyers in Michigan earn an average of $148,820 a year. That is $37,020 (20%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Kalamazoo-Portage, MI at $178,610.
$130,520Median pay
$71.55Average hourly
+25%Avg. pay since 2020
#32Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Michigan metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 14.
1330 jobs
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
$178,610
$85.87 an hour
2110 jobs
Niles, MI
$156,740
$75.36 an hour
31,430 jobs
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$156,470
$75.23 an hour
4640 jobs
Ann Arbor, MI
$153,320
$73.71 an hour
510,110 jobs
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$152,950
$73.54 an hour
6190 jobs
Traverse City, MI
$141,920
$68.23 an hour
71,130 jobs
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
$136,470
$65.61 an hour
8280 jobs
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
$135,950
$65.36 an hour
9200 jobs
Saginaw, MI
$135,840
$65.31 an hour
10260 jobs
Flint, MI
$130,820
$62.90 an hour
1170 jobs
Battle Creek, MI
$129,350
$62.19 an hour
1270 jobs
Monroe, MI
$127,510
$61.30 an hour
1360 jobs
Bay City, MI
$121,570
$58.45 an hour
14130 jobs
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
$111,500
$53.61 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 Michigan, charted
Pay over time
Michigan, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Michigan lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Michigan highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+Michigan
Michigan vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| Michigan | $148,820 | $71.55 |
| Indiana | $175,850 | $84.54 |
| Wisconsin | $171,200 | $82.31 |
| Ohio | $151,140 | $72.67 |
Related jobs in Michigan
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$67,240
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$87,370
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$128,760
- Judicial Law Clerks$65,150
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$85,590
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$52,180
Average pay, Michigan, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in Michigan?
The average is $148,820 a year, and the median is $130,520. That is $37,020 (20%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in Michigan?
$71.55 an hour on average; the median is $62.75.
Where in Michigan do they earn the most?
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI ($178,610), followed by Niles, MI ($156,740). The lowest average among 14 metro areas with data is Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI ($111,500).
How does Michigan rank?
Michigan ranks #32 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.