Lawyers pay in Washington
$169,940avg. a year
$81.70 an hour · 12,770 employed
Lawyers in Washington earn an average of $169,940 a year. That is $15,900 (9%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $180,920.
$154,130Median pay
$81.70Average hourly
+29%Avg. pay since 2020
#19Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Washington metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 12.
19,210 jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$180,920
$86.98 an hour
25,170 jobs
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$164,090
$78.89 an hour
3230 jobs
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$153,860
$73.97 an hour
4220 jobs
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
$146,040
$70.21 an hour
580 jobs
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
$144,750
$69.59 an hour
6230 jobs
Yakima, WA
$140,210
$67.41 an hour
7770 jobs
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
$135,500
$65.14 an hour
840 jobs
Walla Walla, WA
$134,910
$64.86 an hour
9630 jobs
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$134,560
$64.69 an hour
10190 jobs
Bellingham, WA
$132,730
$63.81 an hour
1150 jobs
Longview-Kelso, WA
$126,510
$60.82 an hour
1250 jobs
Lewiston, ID-WA
$123,060
$59.16 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 Washington, charted
Pay over time
Washington, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Washington lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Washington highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+Washington
Washington vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| Washington | $169,940 | $81.70 |
| Oregon | $156,620 | $75.30 |
| Idaho | $125,070 | $60.13 |
Related jobs in Washington
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$83,740
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$159,620
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$130,140
- Judicial Law Clerks$85,030
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$71,270
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$92,220
Average pay, Washington, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in Washington?
The average is $169,940 a year, and the median is $154,130. That is $15,900 (9%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in Washington?
$81.70 an hour on average; the median is $74.10.
Where in Washington do they earn the most?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($180,920), followed by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($164,090). The lowest average among 12 metro areas with data is Lewiston, ID-WA ($123,060).
How does Washington rank?
Washington ranks #19 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.