Lawyers salary in Los Angeles, CA

Median pay for lawyers in Los Angeles, CA: $194,020/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $99,990 – $239,200 · about 43,410 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$74,180 (+62%).

What it's really worth in Los Angeles

With Los Angeles's cost of living at 115 (US=100), that $194,020 has the buying power of about $169,082 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $89,105 · median home $968,608 · median rent $2,909/mo.

Full Los Angeles cost of living & taxes →

How Los Angeles ranks for this job

On raw pay, Los Angeles, CA is 3rd of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Los Angeles's cost of living is applied, it ranks 5th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Los Angeles sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Los Angeles

A median home in Los Angeles, CA costs $968,608 — about 5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,909/mo works out at 18% 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 Los Angeles.

Metro	Median pay	vs Los Angeles	Rent vs Los Angeles
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+23%	1.2×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+12%	1.1×
New York, NY	$185,790	−4%	1.2×
Washington, DC	$183,500	−5%	0.8×

Same job elsewhere in CA

Metro	Median pay	vs Los Angeles	Rent vs Los Angeles
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+23%	1.2×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+12%	1.1×
Oxnard, CA	$175,970	−9%	1×
Sacramento, CA	$168,180	−13%	0.8×

Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires lawyers around Los Angeles

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• County of Los Angeles · Government

Other jobs in Los Angeles