Lawyers Salary in Dallas, TX (2024)
Lawyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area earn a median of $157,340 per year ($75.65 per hour) based on 15,740 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +4.1% against the national median of $151,160 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where lawyers actually sit across the pay range in Dallas, TX, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37.89 | $78,810 | |
| 25th percentile | $47.84 | $99,510 | |
| Median | $75.65 | $157,340 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $105.19 | $218,800 | |
| 90th percentile | — | — | |
| Average (mean) | $85.71 | $178,280 |
How Dallas, TX compares
The local median of $157,340 runs +4.1% above the US median of $151,160 for this occupation; it pays 216.3% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($49,740); within the metro it ranks 18th of 704 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX — this occupation | $157,340 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $151,160 | +4.1% |
| Dallas, TX — all occupations | $49,740 | +216.3% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $215,090 | -26.8% |
A location quotient of 0.81 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 4.5%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 18th of 704 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Dallas, TX
To put $157,340 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 18th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatricians, General | $227,680 | 350 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $227,570 | 60 |
| Podiatrists | $225,670 | 110 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $215,010 | 330 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $214,390 | 4,950 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $211,550 | — |
| Psychiatrists | $210,580 | 190 |
| Anesthesiologists | $208,680 | 1,530 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $204,020 | 1,530 |
| Physicists | $202,610 | 120 |
Where lawyers earn the most
Across the 24 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $125,380 to $215,090. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $215,090 | 16,940 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $205,900 | 40,990 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $203,450 | 93,730 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $194,740 | 18,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $180,940 | 12,590 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $165,000 | 8,990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,680 | 9,440 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $161,420 | 5,600 |
See the full national picture on the Lawyers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for lawyers in Dallas, TX?
The median annual wage is $157,340, or $76 per hour. That means half of the lawyers working in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $178,280.
Is lawyers pay in Dallas, TX above the local average?
Yes, it is 216.3% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $49,740. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Dallas, TX pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $157,340 the metro median is 4.1% higher than the US median of $151,160 for lawyers. Across the 24 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $125,380 to $215,090.
How many lawyers work in Dallas, TX?
BLS counts about 15,740 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 3.93 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.81 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 5.2%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.