Lawyers pay in Pennsylvania
$169,170avg. a year
$81.33 an hour · 27,170 employed
Lawyers in Pennsylvania earn an average of $169,170 a year. That is $16,670 (9%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD at $186,600.
$157,180Median pay
$81.33Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
#21Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 16.
119,040 jobs
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$186,600
$89.71 an hour
25,550 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$159,760
$76.81 an hour
3440 jobs
Reading, PA
$148,690
$71.49 an hour
41,930 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$146,670
$70.52 an hour
5950 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$146,010
$70.20 an hour
6260 jobs
Erie, PA
$144,230
$69.34 an hour
7520 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$142,810
$68.66 an hour
8400 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$141,560
$68.06 an hour
9100 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$132,070
$63.50 an hour
10140 jobs
State College, PA
$129,530
$62.27 an hour
1160 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$125,870
$60.51 an hour
12130 jobs
Williamsport, PA
$123,410
$59.33 an hour
1380 jobs
Lebanon, PA
$119,100
$57.26 an hour
1480 jobs
Johnstown, PA
$117,280
$56.39 an hour
15810 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$116,000
$55.77 an hour
1690 jobs
Altoona, PA
$110,170
$52.97 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Lawyers pay in Pennsylvania, charted
Pay over time
Pennsylvania, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Pennsylvania lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Pennsylvania highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| Pennsylvania | $169,170 | $81.33 |
| New York | $220,180 | $105.86 |
| Delaware | $199,970 | $96.14 |
| New Jersey | $184,090 | $88.51 |
| Maryland | $157,370 | $75.66 |
| Ohio | $151,140 | $72.67 |
Related jobs in Pennsylvania
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$68,510
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$62,640
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$109,520
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$108,790
- Judicial Law Clerks$52,010
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$71,690
Average pay, Pennsylvania, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in Pennsylvania?
The average is $169,170 a year, and the median is $157,180. That is $16,670 (9%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in Pennsylvania?
$81.33 an hour on average; the median is $75.57.
Where in Pennsylvania do they earn the most?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($186,600), followed by Pittsburgh, PA ($159,760). The lowest average among 16 metro areas with data is Altoona, PA ($110,170).
How does Pennsylvania rank?
Pennsylvania ranks #21 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national lawyers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.