Legal Occupations
May 2024 national BLS data. Figures are national medians and percentiles from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2024); your local market, employer and experience will differ. Wage data ages — this reflects the May 2024 release, verified June 2026. Informational only, not career, salary-negotiation or financial advice.
Legal Occupations (SOC 23-0000) encompassed 1,273,410 jobs in the United States as of May 2024. Workers in this occupational group earned a median annual wage of $99,990, with a mean annual wage of $137,680. Legal Occupations represent a significant segment of the professional workforce, reflecting the broad demand for legal expertise across public and private sectors.
This occupational group serves as an umbrella category containing eight detailed occupations, each with distinct responsibilities and compensation levels. Pay varies considerably across these detailed occupations, with some positions earning substantially above the group median and others below it. Understanding the specific occupation within Legal Occupations is essential for accurate wage expectations, as the groupwide median masks important variations in earnings potential based on specialization, experience, and employer type.
Look up a salary →Occupations in Legal Occupations
| Occupation | Median pay | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $156,210 | 25,580 |
| Lawyers | $151,160 | 747,750 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $115,230 | 16,230 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $68,760 | 47,380 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $67,710 | 7,860 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $61,010 | 367,220 |
| Judicial Law Clerks | $60,400 | 13,220 |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | $54,980 | 48,170 |
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 national (public domain), verified June 2026. How we compile this.