Lawyers salary in New York, NY

Median pay for lawyers in New York, NY: $185,790/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $81,790 – $239,200 · about 90,980 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$65,950 (+55%).

What it's really worth in New York

With New York's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $185,790 has the buying power of about $164,934 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $93,610 · median home $727,625 · median rent $3,503/mo.

Full New York cost of living & taxes →

How New York ranks for this job

On raw pay, New York, NY is 4th of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once New York's cost of living is applied, it ranks 7th.

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

What that salary buys in New York

A median home in New York, NY costs $727,625 — about 3.9× 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 $3,503/mo works out at 23% 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 New York.

Metro	Median pay	vs New York	Rent vs New York
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+29%	1×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+17%	0.9×
Los Angeles, CA	$194,020	+4%	0.8×
Washington, DC	$183,500	−1%	0.7×

Same job elsewhere in NY

Metro	Median pay	vs New York	Rent vs New York
Rochester, NY	$129,950	−30%	0.5×
Albany, NY	$119,950	−35%	0.5×
Syracuse, NY	$116,350	−37%	0.5×
Buffalo, NY	$111,030	−40%	0.4×

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

Who hires lawyers around New York

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• City of New York · Government
• U.S. Federal Government (NY) · Government
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority · Government
• JPMorgan Chase · Finance

Other jobs in New York