National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Accountants at $79,880/year. Lawyers earn 45% more nationally. The gap is $65,880 per year — or $5,490 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Accountant
$79,880
national median/year
$6,657/mo • $38/hr
Annual salary gap
$65,880
Lawyers earn 45% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $746,769.
Best states for Accountants
vs Lawyers
Mississippi+$-30,000
South Dakota+$-30,000
West Virginia+$-30,000
North Dakota+$-34,000
Wyoming+$-34,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Accountants
New York+$90,000
California+$80,000
Massachusetts+$76,000
Illinois+$70,000
New Jersey+$70,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $79,880 for Accountants — a difference of $65,880 per year or $5,490 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Accountants is $65,880 per year. Lawyers earn 45% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $746,769.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Accountants the highest median salary at $98,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Lawyers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Lawyers and Accountants and Auditors both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Lawyers earn approximately $70 per hour nationally and Accountants earn approximately $38 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
