Lawyers salary in Raleigh, NC

Median pay for lawyers in Raleigh, NC: $142,050/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $67,250 – $239,200 · about 3,960 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$22,210 (+19%).

What it's really worth in Raleigh

With Raleigh's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $142,050 has the buying power of about $144,426 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $91,818 · median home $438,364 · median rent $1,694/mo.

Full Raleigh cost of living & taxes →

How Raleigh ranks for this job

On raw pay, Raleigh, NC is 29th of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Raleigh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 26th.

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

What that salary buys in Raleigh

A median home in Raleigh, NC costs $438,364 — about 3.1× 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 $1,694/mo works out at 14% 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 Raleigh.

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+68%	2.1×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+53%	1.9×
Los Angeles, CA	$194,020	+37%	1.7×
New York, NY	$185,790	+31%	2.1×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
Charlotte, NC	$151,480	+7%	1×
Winston-Salem, NC	$129,560	−9%	0.9×
Greensboro, NC	$129,030	−9%	0.8×
Durham, NC	$128,250	−10%	1×

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

Who hires lawyers around Raleigh

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• First Citizens Bank · Finance

Other jobs in Raleigh