Lawyers salary in Sacramento, CA
Median pay for lawyers in Sacramento, CA: $168,180/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $98,660 – $239,200 · about 5,850 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$48,340 (+40%).
What it's really worth in Sacramento
With Sacramento's cost of living at 109 (US=100), that $168,180 has the buying power of about $154,165 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $89,227 · median home $582,707 · median rent $2,283/mo.
How Sacramento ranks for this job
On raw pay, Sacramento, CA is 9th of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Sacramento's cost of living is applied, it ranks 14th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Sacramento sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Sacramento
A median home in Sacramento, CA costs $582,707 — about 3.5× 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 $2,283/mo works out at 16% 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 Sacramento.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $239,200 | +42% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $217,340 | +29% | 1.4× |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,020 | +15% | 1.3× |
| New York, NY | $185,790 | +10% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $239,200 | +42% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $217,340 | +29% | 1.4× |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,020 | +15% | 1.3× |
| Oxnard, CA | $175,970 | +5% | 1.3× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires lawyers around Sacramento
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- California Department of Transportation · Government
- State of California · Government
Other jobs in Sacramento
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.