Lawyers salary in Baltimore, MD
Median pay for lawyers in Baltimore, MD: $134,510/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $86,470 – $239,200 · about 7,840 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$14,670 (+12%).
What it's really worth in Baltimore
With Baltimore's cost of living at 103 (US=100), that $134,510 has the buying power of about $130,359 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $94,167 · median home $405,877 · median rent $1,919/mo.
How Baltimore ranks for this job
On raw pay, Baltimore, MD is 42nd of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Baltimore's cost of living is applied, it ranks 78th.
The headline number flatters Baltimore. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, lawyers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Baltimore
A median home in Baltimore, MD costs $405,877 — about 3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,919/mo works out at 17% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where lawyers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Baltimore.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baltimore | Rent vs Baltimore |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $239,200 | +78% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $217,340 | +62% | 1.7× |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,020 | +44% | 1.5× |
| New York, NY | $185,790 | +38% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in MD
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baltimore | Rent vs Baltimore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury, MD | $112,570 | −16% | 1× |
| Hagerstown, MD | $80,270 | −40% | 0.8× |
Staying in MD keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Baltimore
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 183 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.