Lawyers salary in Salem, OR

Median pay for lawyers in Salem, OR: $139,820/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $77,400 – $201,720 · about 810 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$19,980 (+17%).

What it's really worth in Salem

With Salem's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $139,820 has the buying power of about $136,464 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $72,154 · median home $454,689 · median rent $1,628/mo.

Full Salem cost of living & taxes →

How Salem ranks for this job

On raw pay, Salem, OR is 31st of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 52nd.

The headline number flatters Salem. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, lawyers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Salem

A median home in Salem, OR costs $454,689 — about 3.3× 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 $1,628/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 Salem.

Metro	Median pay	vs Salem	Rent vs Salem
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+71%	2.2×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+55%	2×
Los Angeles, CA	$194,020	+39%	1.8×
New York, NY	$185,790	+33%	2.2×

Same job elsewhere in OR

Metro	Median pay	vs Salem	Rent vs Salem
Portland, OR	$158,450	+13%	1.1×
Eugene, OR	$119,180	−15%	1.1×

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

Who hires lawyers around Salem

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• State of Oregon · Government

Other jobs in Salem