National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Physical Therapists at $99,710/year. Lawyers earn 32% more nationally. The gap is $46,050 per year — or $3,838 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Physical Therapist
$99,710
national median/year
$8,309/mo • $48/hr
Annual salary gap
$46,050
Lawyers earn 32% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $521,990.
Best states for Physical Therapists
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$-10,000
Hawaii+$-10,000
South Dakota+$-12,000
North Dakota+$-14,000
West Virginia+$-14,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Physical Therapists
New York+$86,000
Massachusetts+$66,000
California+$64,000
Illinois+$56,000
New Jersey+$56,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $99,710 for Physical Therapists — a difference of $46,050 per year or $3,838 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Physical Therapists is $46,050 per year. Lawyers earn 32% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $521,990.
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 Physical Therapists the highest median salary at $114,320 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 Physical Therapists 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 Physical Therapists earn approximately $48 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.
