When studying to be a contract lawyer, you'll eventually have to choose somewhere to work. While remote work is becoming a greater possibility for most lines of work, when practicing law, you have to remember that you'll only be licensed in certain states.
After all, the bar exam is state-specific and while certain states have reciprocity with others (meaning it may remain valid in other states and vice-versa), you may be somewhat geographically limited. With reciprocity, there's often a requirement for lawyers to have practiced law for several years in their jurisdiction before they are allowed to practice in another jurisdiction through reciprocity. This is known as Admission on Motion.
This means where you choose to practice law is an important issue you'll have to consider and while there are plenty of good reasons to live in certain places and lots of excellent reasons to work as a contract lawyer, you didn't spend 7 years studying and taking some of the hardest exams around to not earn a good salary.
Here are the places where lawyers can earn good salaries.
The Best Cities for Contract Lawyers
Before we get to the states that pay lawyers the most, let's see some of the cities that pay the most. Of course, before you can start considering any of these cities, you have to get all the necessary qualifications for contract lawyers.
You'll see there's definitely a geographical trend behind which cities pay the most, but perhaps a few of these cities might surprise you.
To make sure you read to the end and don't skip any of them, we've put the cities in alphabetical order so you have to check them all out!
Boston, MA
The median annual salary in Boston for lawyers is around $150,000 and while Boston is in one of the more expensive parts of the country, the cost of living is generally lower than New York City and a lot of the major cities in California.
Boston can also boast a pretty strong legal market with a lot of big law firms in the area, making it pretty good for anyone starting out.
Another benefit of Boston is that the Massachusetts bar has reciprocity with Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington D.C. provided the score achieved on the exam meets the requirement for these jurisdictions.
Denver, CO
Denver is becoming a really popular city for lots of people and not just lawyers. That said, there is a growing population of lawyers, too, so it's probably better to move to Denver sooner rather than later. This growth is also bringing law firms with it.
The median annual salary for Denver is about $137,000 making it somewhat lower than Boston and some of the other cities you'll see on this list, but the cost of living is lower than the north-east and California so there's that to consider.
Similarly, Colorado offers a different lifestyle to the other cities here because it's the only one on our list that isn't anywhere near the coast.
Los Angeles, CA
The City of Angels is another excellent destination for contract lawyers looking for a good salary. With the average salary at $161,000, this is much better than the other cities we've seen so far, but you have to remember this is a California salary and the cost of living in California comes with it.
Los Angeles isn't the most expensive city in California, but it's still California. The average salary is still really good for the cost of living and the future of the job market is also looking good.
Don't forget that some of the best law schools are in California, too!
Miami, FL
While “only” earning a median annual salary of $128,000 seems comparatively low after seeing how much lawyers can earn in LA, Miami, Florida, is a much smaller city with a lower cost of living.
Miami also boasts fairly good numbers in terms of diversity, putting it top of the table for partners of color in an industry where non-white representation is incredibly low.
Miami is also a growing market for corporate law, making it an excellent place to look for aspiring contract lawyers.
If you'd prefer somewhere warmer that isn't California, Miami could be a great choice for your career in law!
New York City, NY
It probably doesn't surprise you that NYC makes this list. The average lawyer makes $155,000 a year and despite the increased cost of living, many still enjoy living in the city. Much like Los Angeles, this is a massive city.
The state of New York has double the demand for lawyers than the national average and much like Miami, Florida, it boasts good levels of diversity in the field, too.
The Big Apple is also home to lots of huge law firms, making it a great place for newly-qualified contract lawyers looking to get their foot in the door.
Oxnard, CA
Oxnard is a smaller city in California, but it's becoming a popular spot for lawyers as the cost of living is a bit lower than elsewhere in California while still offering the average lawyer around $150,000 a year.
For those who mightn't have heard of Oxnard, it's 60 miles to the west of LA and home to a little over 200,000 people (though over 800,000 live in the metro area). Rent in Oxnard is relatively cheap for California and it's right on the beach.
The good thing is that if you choose Oxnard, you'll still do the California bar exam and be able to practice law in all of the other Californian cities on our list.
San Francisco, CA
Yet another Californian city with great salaries for anyone practicing law. However, the cost of living in San Francisco is incredibly high in comparison to some of the cheaper cities we've seen so far.
Fortunately, the median salary is $169,000, higher than even that of Los Angeles. Those starting out in law also earn more than the national average, making it a great place for starting a legal career.
Like some of the other bigger cities in this list, there are also large law firms based in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
San Jose, CA
San Jose is another city in the Bay Area with an incredible median salary for lawyers. As the home of Silicon Valley, it's hardly surprising that salaries here are higher, but it may surprise you to hear that the median salary for lawyers here is $207,000!
Perhaps ironically, San Jose has a high cost of living, but it's not as high as San Francisco. The only problem with San Jose is that demand for lawyers isn't as high as in San Francisco and competition is likely much more fierce as legal professionals go after these enticing salaries.
To give yourself an advantage in competitive legal environments, it can always help to work on the essential skills that every contract lawyer should have!
Santa Cruz, CA
In California terms, Santa Cruz's median salary of $140,000 for lawyers may seem disappointing, especially after having just mentioned the salary in San Jose, but there are lots of other reasons to practice law here.
Santa Cruz is a similar size to Oxnard and far from the massive urban sprawl of LA or the Bay Area while not being all too far from the latter.
Washington, DC
Last but not least, we have the nation's capital. There are legal professionals all over the city and they earn an average salary of $164,000.
Naturally, politics dominate the legal landscape in DC, but there are opportunities for all kinds of lawyers. For those with any political aspirations, it can also help to be where the action is.
The Best States for Lawyers
As you may have gathered from seeing which cities made our list, some states are better than others for becoming a contract lawyer. What may surprise you is that some states pay legal professionals quite well without having a single city that made the list. That said, we have seen cities from some of these states.
New York
The mean salary for lawyers in New York State is $179,000 and as we mentioned earlier, New York State is home to one of the highest concentrations of lawyers in the country.
California
With half of our list being cities in California, you're probably not surprised that the Golden State is one of the best places to be a contract lawyer.
The mean salary for lawyers in California is $177,000, but with so many massive law firms, different cities to practice law in, and a good quality of life, it wouldn't be a bad choice to do the bar exam here.
Massachusetts
With a mean salary of $168,000, Massachusetts is one of the best-paying states for lawyers. If you want to become a contract lawyer here, you'll also have options to practice law in a few other states including the next one in this article!
New Jersey
Though none of the cities on our list was in New Jersey, the Garden State pays a mean salary of $154,000 to practicing lawyers and also offers proximity and reciprocity with a lot of jurisdictions. Unfortunately, California is one of the states without reciprocity with New Jersey.
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