Lawyers Hourly Wage in California (2024)

The median hourly wage for Lawyers in California is $88.97/hour, based on 2024 BLS data.

Data: BLS OEWS 2024 • California hourly wage data • Updated 2026-04-06

Entry-Level (P10)
$46.74
/hour
Median (P50)
$88.97
/hour
Senior (P90)
$None
/hour

Annual Salary Equivalent

$185,050
Based on 2,080 work hours/year (40 hours/week, 52 weeks/year). View annual salary page.

California vs National Average

Entry-Level (P10)
$46.74
National: $32.8
+42.5%
Median (P50)
$88.97
National: $60.93
+46.0%

Hourly Wage Breakdown by Percentile

Percentile Hourly Rate Weekly (×40h) Monthly (×173.3h) Annual (×2,080h)
Entry-Level (P10) $46.74 $1870 $8102 $97,220
Q1 (P25) $62.2 $2488 $10782 $129,380
Median (P50) $88.97 $3559 $15421 $185,050
Q3 (P75) $None $0 $0 N/A
Senior (P90) $None $0 $0 N/A

Note: Weekly = hourly × 40 hours. Monthly = hourly × 173.3 hours (avg). Annual = hourly × 2,080 hours.

Highest-Paying States for Lawyers

#1
$88.97
$88.97/hr
+46.0%
#2
$88.22
$88.22/hr
+44.8%
#3
$88.16
$88.16/hr
+44.7%
#4
$86.37
$86.37/hr
+41.8%
#5
$80.08
$80.08/hr
+31.4%
#6
$77.83
$77.83/hr
+27.7%
#7
$76.81
$76.81/hr
+26.1%
#8
$76.71
$76.71/hr
+25.9%
#9
$72.68
$72.68/hr
+19.3%
#10
$72.11
$72.11/hr
+18.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average hourly wage for Lawyers in California?

The median hourly wage for Lawyers in California is $88.97/hour (2024 BLS data). This equals approximately $185,050.0 per year based on 2,080 work hours.

How does California Lawyers hourly pay compare to national average?

The median hourly rate for Lawyers in California is $88.97/hr compared to the national average of $60.93/hr — higher by $28.04/hr.

What is the entry-level hourly rate for Lawyers in California?

Entry-level Lawyers professionals in California earn approximately $46.74/hour (10th percentile), which equals $97,220.0/year.

How much does a senior Lawyers make per hour in California?

Senior-level data is not available for Lawyers in California.

How is hourly wage calculated from annual salary?

Hourly wages are calculated by dividing annual salary by 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40 hours/week). This is the standard full-time conversion used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Related Salary Pages

Data Source

Hourly wage data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. This data reflects median and percentile wages for Lawyers (SOC 231011) in California.

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