Lawyers Salary in Philadelphia, PA (2024)
Lawyers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median of $148,030 per year ($71.17 per hour) based on 18,270 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is -2.1% 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 Philadelphia, PA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.05 | $74,990 | |
| 25th percentile | $47.16 | $98,090 | |
| Median | $71.17 | $148,030 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $99.72 | $207,420 | |
| 90th percentile | — | — | |
| Average (mean) | $82.76 | $172,130 |
How Philadelphia, PA compares
The local median of $148,030 runs -2.1% below the US median of $151,160 for this occupation; it pays 186.0% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,760); within the metro it ranks 18th of 710 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA — this occupation | $148,030 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $151,160 | -2.1% |
| Philadelphia, PA — all occupations | $51,760 | +186.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $215,090 | -31.2% |
At a location quotient of 1.31, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 131% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 3.6%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 18th of 710 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia, PA
To put $148,030 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 18th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $236,740 | 600 |
| Pediatricians, General | $220,310 | 1,190 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $215,060 | 100 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $202,290 | 110 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $200,150 | 220 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $181,200 | 190 |
| Physicians, All Other | $179,220 | 8,290 |
| Dentists, General | $174,220 | 2,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $172,710 | 3,230 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $170,330 | 12,820 |
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 Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $148,030, or $71 per hour. That means half of the lawyers working in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $172,130.
Is lawyers pay in Philadelphia, PA above the local average?
Yes, it is 186.0% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,760. 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 Philadelphia, PA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $148,030 the metro median is 2.1% lower 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 Philadelphia, PA?
BLS counts about 18,270 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 6.37 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.31, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 131% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 3.8%). 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.