What are the main factors that influence an Entry Level Attorney's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Entry Level Attorney's salary?

An Entry Level Attorney's salary grows with experience: an Entry Level Attorney (0-2 years)earns $100,129, an Attorney II (2-4 years)earns $132,878, an Attorney III (4-7 years)earns $187,470, an Attorney IV (7+ years)earns $213,447, an Attorney V (7-10 years)earns $253,158,

What are the highest paying states for an Entry Level Attorney?

Entry Level Attorney salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Entry Level Attorney roles are District of Columbia $110,647, California $110,227, Massachusetts $108,758. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Entry Level Attorney roles make?

Salaries for Entry Level Attorney level roles vary by specialization: Entry Level Attorney Position: $178,034; Attorney, Entry - Taxes: $107,600; Attorney, Entry - Patents: $104,500; Attorney, Entry: $100,100; Entry Level Associate Attorney: $99,934.

How do different companies affect an Entry Level Attorney's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Entry Level Attorney roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Entry Level Attorney Salary in the United States

How much does an Entry Level Attorney make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for an Entry Level Attorney in the United States is $99,934 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

However, an Entry Level Attorney's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $118,476
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $87,879 to $109,640
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $76,905

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Entry Level Attorney Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$109,640	$9,137	$2,108	$53
Average	$99,934	$8,328	$1,922	$48
25th Percentile	$87,879	$7,323	$1,690	$42

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Key Factors That Influence Entry Level Attorney Salaries

An Entry Level Attorney's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Entry Level Attorney Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Entry Level Attorney's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $100,129
Early Career (1-2 years): $132,878
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $187,470
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $213,447
Expert (over 8 years): $253,158

Levels	Salary
Entry Lev... Level Entry Level Attorney	$100,129
Attorney ... Level Entry Level Attorney	$132,878
Attorney ... Level Entry Level Attorney	$187,470
Attorney ... Level Entry Level Attorney	$213,447
Attorney ... Level Entry Level Attorney	$253,158

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Entry Level Attorney Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Entry Level Attorneys. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $110,647.
California: $110,227.
Massachusetts: $108,758.

District of Columbia $110,647 California $110,227 Massachusetts $108,758 Washington $108,358 New Jersey $108,318 Alaska $108,178 Connecticut $106,799 New York $106,239

Hawaii $104,451 Rhode Island $103,611 Maryland $103,042 Minnesota $102,262 Colorado $101,962 Illinois $101,862 Oregon $101,483 Delaware $101,203

New Hampshire $101,027 Virginia $100,633 Pennsylvania $99,484 Nevada $98,904 North Dakota $98,714 Michigan $98,415 Wisconsin $98,305 Vermont $98,085

Texas $97,475 Maine $97,435 Arizona $97,375 Ohio $97,305 Georgia $96,386 Indiana $95,926 Wyoming $95,836 Utah $95,696

Iowa $95,637 Kansas $95,157 Louisiana $95,017 North Carolina $94,967 Missouri $94,947 Florida $94,557 Montana $94,347 Nebraska $94,148

Kentucky $94,038 South Carolina $93,638 Tennessee $93,388 Idaho $93,288 New Mexico $92,559 Oklahoma $92,399 Alabama $91,809 South Dakota $90,820

Arkansas $90,280 West Virginia $89,990 Mississippi $89,121

Top Paying Cities for Entry Level Attorneys

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $126,046
San Francisco: $124,807
Oakland: $122,039

San Jose, CA $126,046

San Francisco, CA $124,807

Oakland, CA $122,039

New York, NY $115,813

Queens Village, NY $115,064

Paramus, NJ $114,264

Passaic, NJ $114,164

Bergenfield, NJ $114,064

Stamford, CT $113,914

Huntington, NY $113,814

Newark, NJ $113,165

Bridgeport, CT $112,965

New Brunswick, NJ $112,635

Vallejo, CA $112,425

Middlesex, NJ $112,365

Somerset, NJ $112,275

Petaluma, CA $112,046

Santa Cruz, CA $111,656

Boston, MA $111,456

Monterey, CA $110,956

Fairbanks, AK $110,886

Los Angeles, CA $110,697

Washington, DC $110,647

Seattle, WA $110,467

Santa Rosa, CA $110,447

Juneau, AK $110,157

Orange, CA $109,827

Anchorage, AK $109,647

Anaheim, CA $109,577

Santa Ana, CA $109,427

Nassau, NY $109,367

Long Beach, CA $109,327

Danbury, CT $109,297

Santa Maria, CA $108,958

Everett, WA $108,938

Bremerton, WA $108,448

Trenton, NJ $108,258

Sacramento, CA $108,218

San Diego, CA $108,168

Brockton, MA $108,128

Tacoma, WA $108,088

Santa Barbara, CA $107,948

Lowell, MA $107,549

New Suffolk, NY $107,509

Nashua, NH $107,389

Lompoc, CA $107,229

Ventura, CA $107,129

Stockton, CA $107,099

New Haven, CT $106,899

Atlantic City, NJ $106,639

Hartford, CT $106,419

Modesto, CA $106,369

Poughkeepsie, NY $106,150

New Britain, CT $106,100

Kennewick, WA $105,960

Olympia, WA $105,960

New London, CT $105,940

Norwich, CT $105,910

Lawrence, MA $105,860

Bakersfield, CA $105,580

New Bedford, MA $105,440

Riverside, CA $105,440

Richland, WA $105,340

Portsmouth, NH $105,260

Vineland, NJ $105,240

San Bernardino, CA $105,160

Boulder, CO $104,880

Worcester, MA $104,800

Portland, OR $104,711

Saint Paul, MN $104,591

Minneapolis, MN $104,591

Philadelphia, PA $104,451

Honolulu, HI $103,921

Springfield, MA $103,571

Providence, RI $103,561

Chicago, IL $103,271

Bellingham, WA $103,152

Baltimore, MD $103,042

Chico, CA $102,792

Wilmington, DE $102,622

Pittsfield, MA $102,522

Manchester, NH $102,332

Spokane, WA $101,892

Denver, CO $101,882

Albany, NY $101,413

Troy, NY $101,373

Schenectady, NY $101,163

Burlington, VT $100,943

Portland, ME $100,593

Salem, OR $100,513

Yakima, WA $100,493

Ann Arbor, MI $100,463

Rochester, MN $100,184

Reno, NV $100,134

Fresno, CA $100,134

Milwaukee, WI $100,044

Detroit, MI $99,944

Allentown, PA $99,914

Carson City, NV $99,904

Houston, TX $99,754

Colorado Springs, CO $99,744

Syracuse, NY $99,694

Eugene, OR $99,504

Gary, IN $99,384

Bismarck, ND $99,384

Galveston, TX $99,384

Springfield, OR $99,304

Medford, OR $99,064

Fort Collins, CO $99,024

Austin, TX $98,944

Mesa, AZ $98,734

Phoenix, AZ $98,714

Dallas, TX $98,685

Reading, PA $98,625

Saint Cloud, MN $98,585

Concord, NH $98,495

Madison, WI $98,455

Utica, NY $98,185

Raleigh, NC $98,105

Las Vegas, NV $98,095

Rochester, NY $98,025

Des Moines, IA $98,015

Atlanta, GA $97,855

Battle Creek, MI $97,825

Salt Lake City, UT $97,795

Lancaster, PA $97,645

Champaign, IL $97,625

Harrisburg, PA $97,505

Durham, NC $97,415

Kansas City, MO $97,405

Kansas City, KS $97,385

Fort Worth, TX $97,375

Boca Raton, FL $97,335

Cleveland, OH $97,325

Columbus, OH $97,305

Pittsburgh, PA $97,295

Richmond, VA $97,255

Indianapolis, IN $97,235

Cincinnati, OH $97,106

Petersburg, VA $96,956

Lansing, MI $96,736

Billings, MT $96,736

Huntsville, AL $96,736

Lebanon, PA $96,726

Pueblo, CO $96,716

Dayton, OH $96,716

Appleton, WI $96,686

Buffalo, NY $96,646

Racine, WI $96,596

Charlotte, NC $96,586

Saint Louis, MO $96,556

Springfield, IL $96,516

York, PA $96,496

Elkhart, IN $96,496

Gastonia, NC $96,486

Benton Harbor, MI $96,486

Beaumont, TX $96,426

Lorain, OH $96,406

Toledo, OH $96,366

Binghamton, NY $96,316

Rock Hill, SC $96,306

Rockford, IL $96,256

Elyria, OH $96,206

Fargo, ND $96,206

Flagstaff, AZ $96,136

Fort Lauderdale, FL $96,076

Miami, FL $96,016

Duluth, MN $95,856

Bangor, ME $95,726

Cedar Rapids, IA $95,617

Louisville, KY $95,567

Grand Rapids, MI $95,547

Hialeah, FL $95,537

Casper, WY $95,397

Scranton, PA $95,277

New Orleans, LA $95,247

Virginia Beach, VA $95,237

Akron, OH $95,187

Peoria, IL $95,057

Sarasota, FL $95,037

Green Bay, WI $94,967

Baton Rouge, LA $94,917

Charleston, SC $94,897

Nashville, TN $94,867

Jamestown, NY $94,847

Davenport, IA $94,847

Tucson, AZ $94,797

Cheyenne, WY $94,767

Saint Petersburg, FL $94,737

Tampa, FL $94,717

Omaha, NE $94,697

Evansville, IN $94,657

Port Arthur, TX $94,657

Bradenton, FL $94,617

Santa Fe, NM $94,437

Orlando, FL $94,337

Clearwater, FL $94,227

La Crosse, WI $94,018

Canton, OH $94,018

Grand Forks, ND $93,988

Tulsa, OK $93,958

Albuquerque, NM $93,958

Newport News, VA $93,948

High Point, NC $93,918

Ogden, UT $93,878

Corpus Christi, TX $93,798

Laramie, WY $93,738

Norfolk, VA $93,738

Rock Island, IL $93,678

Saginaw, MI $93,658

Jacksonville, FL $93,648

Salisbury, NC $93,628

Memphis, TN $93,608

Moline, IL $93,558

Fort Myers, FL $93,528

Waterloo, IA $93,398

Spartanburg, SC $93,298

Lincoln, NE $93,248

Fort Wayne, IN $93,228

Birmingham, AL $93,118

Cedar Falls, IA $93,098

Provo, UT $93,088

Springfield, OH $93,078

San Antonio, TX $93,058

Greensboro, NC $93,018

South Bend, IN $93,008

Winston Salem, NC $92,998

Boise, ID $92,968

Savannah, GA $92,898

Muskegon, MI $92,718

Lima, OH $92,599

Lake Charles, LA $92,559

Anderson, IN $92,539

Lexington, KY $92,509

Augusta, GA $92,479

Greenville, SC $92,479

Wichita, KS $92,389

Tuscaloosa, AL $92,389

Columbia, SC $92,299

Bloomington, IN $92,049

Roanoke, VA $91,989

Asheville, NC $91,859

Knoxville, TN $91,689

Shreveport, LA $91,679

Wilmington, NC $91,549

Frankfort, KY $91,359

Oklahoma City, OK $91,289

Chillicothe, OH $91,249

Longview, TX $91,239

Topeka, KS $91,209

Mobile, AL $91,060

Terre Haute, IN $91,020

Erie, PA $91,010

Altoona, PA $90,960

Melbourne, FL $90,930

Amarillo, TX $90,890

Killeen, TX $90,860

Fayetteville, AR $90,780

Sioux Falls, SD $90,710

Chattanooga, TN $90,650

Idaho Falls, ID $90,640

Gainesville, FL $90,430

Portsmouth, OH $90,380

Little Rock, AR $90,360

Lynchburg, VA $90,360

Youngstown, OH $90,320

Lafayette, LA $90,320

Temple, TX $90,280

Daytona Beach, FL $90,260

Clarksville, TN $90,250

Pensacola, FL $90,240

Hopkinsville, KY $89,940

Charleston, WV $89,930

Florence, SC $89,880

Sioux City, IA $89,820

Macon, GA $89,531

Tallahassee, FL $89,521

Fayetteville, NC $89,501

Wichita Falls, TX $89,481

Waco, TX $89,481

Pine Bluff, AR $89,441

Vincennes, IN $89,251

Lubbock, TX $89,211

Great Falls, MT $89,151

Alamogordo, NM $89,141

Abilene, TX $89,061

Rapid City, SD $88,931

Monroe, LA $88,931

Albany, GA $88,871

Huntington, WV $88,861

Jackson, MS $88,851

Greenville, MS $88,841

Parkersburg, WV $88,741

Montgomery, AL $88,721

Johnstown, PA $88,701

Springfield, MO $88,621

Biloxi, MS $88,571

Sumter, SC $88,361

Columbus, GA $88,351

Twin Falls, ID $88,291

Pascagoula, MS $88,161

Kingsport, TN $87,902

Gulfport, MS $87,872

Alexandria, LA $87,542

Fort Smith, AR $87,292

El Paso, TX $87,022

Helena, MT $86,892

Las Cruces, NM $86,573

Harlingen, TX $86,293

Pocatello, ID $86,203

Florence, AL $86,173

Brownsville, TX $86,153

Dothan, AL $85,993

Mcallen, TX $85,943

Columbus, MS $85,203

Altus, OK $84,744

Lawton, OK $84,554

Pierre, SD $84,194

What Skills Can Increase an Entry Level Attorney's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.65% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Estate Planning (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging, during a person's life, for the management and disposal of that person's estate during the person's life and at and after death, while minimizing gift, estate, generation skipping transfer, and income tax. Estate planning includes planning for incapacity as well as a process of reducing or eliminating uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximizing the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses. The ultimate goal of estate planning can be determined by the specific goals of the client, and may be as simple or complex as the client's needs dictate. Guardians are often designated for minor children and beneficiaries in incapacity. The law of estate planning overlaps to some degree with elder law, which additionally includes other provisions such as long-term care.
Employment Law (Mentioned in 1.49% Job Postings): Applying the knowledge of employment law to regulate relationships between employers and employees.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.65%
Estate Planning	2.37%
Employment Law	1.49%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Entry Level Attorney's salary.

Legal Advice: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Negotiating: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Legal Advice	$104,930	5%
Analysis	$102,932	3%
Negotiating	$102,932	3%
Legal Documents	$101,932	2%
Verbal Communication	$101,932	2%
Legal Research	$101,932	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Entry Level Attorney's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Entry Level Attorneys enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Entry Level Attorney with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $101,138 and $109,909).

Entry Level Attorney Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Entry Level Attorney

No Diploma 0.2%

High School 0.4%

Associates 0.1%

Bachelors 1.8%

Masters 2.9%

Doctorate 94.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.2%
High School	0.4%
Associates	0.1%
Bachelors	1.8%
Masters	2.9%
Doctorate	94.6%

view as graph

Entry Level Attorney Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Entry Level Attorney's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$87,879

Average $99,934/year

$109,640

$7,323

Average $8,328/month

$9,137

$1,690

Average $1,922/week

$2,108

$42

Average $48/hour

$53

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$109,640	$9,137	$2,108	$53
Average	$99,934	$8,328	$1,922	$48
25th Percentile	$87,879	$7,323	$1,690	$42

Salaries of jobs related to Entry Level Attorney

Salary Trends for Entry Level Attorney

Salaries for an Entry Level Attorney can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $113,204 in 2023 to around $109,234 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Entry Level Attorney salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Entry Level Attorney Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$113,204

2024

$112,771

2025

$109,234

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$113,204
2024	$112,771
2025	$109,234
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Entry Level Attorney

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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