Career Atlas USA

Best States for Lawyers

Ranked by the Career Atlas Opportunity Score, not raw pay — a high-paying state with few jobs or a high cost of living can rank below a more balanced one.

  1. 1New York98.8 / 100
  2. 2District of Columbia97.7 / 100
  3. 3Massachusetts92.6 / 100
  4. 4California90.3 / 100
  5. 5Colorado87.7 / 100
  6. 6Illinois87 / 100
  7. 7Delaware83.5 / 100
  8. 8Virginia80.1 / 100
  9. 9New Jersey79.8 / 100
  10. 10Pennsylvania79.1 / 100
  11. 11Connecticut74.9 / 100
  12. 12Texas73.3 / 100
  13. 13Minnesota70.4 / 100
  14. 14Georgia70.3 / 100
  15. 15Florida68.2 / 100

Also see highest-paying states (ranked by salary alone).