Legal Salaries: 8 Jobs Ranked by Pay (2026)

Official median pay, hourly rates, and education requirements for every legal occupation — from Lawyer down to Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Occupations
8
tracked in this field
Average Median
$95,700
across the field
Highest Paying
$159,670
Lawyer
Entry Point
$58,650
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers

All Legal salaries, ranked

Sorted by median annual pay in official BLS estimates. Click any job for its full salary report, including pay by state.

OccupationMedian salaryHourlyTypical educationWorkers
Lawyer$159,670$76.76Doctoral or professional degree755,000
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990$74.03Doctoral or professional degree24,000
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860$56.66Doctoral or professional degree16,000
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530$36.31Doctoral or professional degree9,000
Legal Support Worker, All Other$72,110$34.67Doctoral or professional degree47,000
Judicial Law Clerk$64,920$31.21Doctoral or professional degree13,000
Paralegals and Legal Assistants$62,890$30.24Bachelor's degree393,000
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,650$28.20High school diploma or equivalent49,000

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Legal salary?
Across the 8 legal occupations tracked in BLS data, the average median salary is $95,700 per year. Individual roles range from $58,650 to $159,670.
What is the highest-paying Legal job?
Lawyer is the highest-paying legal occupation in official BLS estimates, with a median salary of $159,670 per year.
What education do Legal jobs require?
It varies by role — the table above shows the typical entry-level education for each occupation, sourced from O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Many specialist roles need a degree, while support and trainee roles often need a certificate or less.