Lawyers pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $99,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $314,120 or more. The middle half of lawyers in Seattle earn between $127,870 and $215,590.
- $100K10th
- $128K25th
- $165KMedian
- $216K75th
- $314K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $180,920 | $15,077 | $86.98 |
| Median | $164,980 | $13,748 | $79.32 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $127,870 | $10,656 | $61.48 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $215,590 | $17,966 | $103.65 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Lawyers salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $180,920, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $134,925 a year, or $11,244 a month and $5,189 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for lawyers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $180,920 buys what about $162,796 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Lawyers salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 1st of 10 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Seattle$180,920
- Kennewick$153,860
- Bremerton$146,040
- Wenatchee$144,750
- Yakima$140,210
- Spokane$135,500
- Walla Walla$134,910
- Olympia$134,560
- Bellingham$132,730
- Longview$126,510
Highest-paying cities for lawyers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($288,980).
- San Jose, CA$288,980
- Santa Rosa, CA$248,950
- Los Angeles, CA$241,500
- San Francisco, CA$237,060
- Bridgeport, CT$231,710
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Lawyers salary in Seattle: questions
How much do lawyers make an hour in Seattle?
$86.98 an hour on average, and $79.32 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level lawyers salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $99,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $127,870, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the lawyers take-home pay in Seattle?
About $134,925 a year ($11,244 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $180,920. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do lawyers earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 23-1011; area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.91, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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