Lawyers salary
in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Middle 50%
- $135,400–$223,020
- vs U.S. median
- +12%
- Metro rank
- #11 of 304
Lawyers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earn a median of $178,220 a year, based on BLS estimates for 8,020 jobs (May 2025). That is 12% above the U.S. median of $159,670 and 9% below the CA statewide median of $195,080. It ranks #11 of 304 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE8,020 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Employers filing for this job in San Diego
1 employers · DOL
Median of each employer’s DOL LCA filings (5+ filings) in this metro, FY2026 Q3. Visa-sponsored positions only, base pay.
| Employer | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Latham & Watkins | $291,500 | 6 |
Lawyers pay in other CA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $301,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $212,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $194,410 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $185,520 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $181,560 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $178,540 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $175,780 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $174,880 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SAN DIEGO
Questions
What is the average Lawyers salary in San Diego?
The BLS median is $178,220 a year (May 2025). Half of the 8,020 jobs pay between $135,400 and $223,020. The 10th percentile is $104,140 and the 90th is $336,590.
Is San Diego a high-paying metro for Lawyers?
That is 12% above the U.S. median of $159,670 and 9% below the CA statewide median of $195,080. It ranks #11 of 304 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Lawyers make an hour in San Diego?
About $85.68 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $178,220 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $65.10–$107.22 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Which employers pay Lawyers the most in San Diego?
Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were Latham & Watkins ($291,500). These are base wages for sponsored positions, not all employees.
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.