National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Plumbers at $61,550/year. Lawyers earn 58% more nationally. The gap is $84,210 per year — or $7,018 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Plumber
$61,550
national median/year
$5,129/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$84,210
Lawyers earn 58% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $954,545.
Best states for Plumbers
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$-36,000
Hawaii+$-36,000
North Dakota+$-38,000
South Dakota+$-40,000
West Virginia+$-42,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Plumbers
New York+$106,000
California+$100,000
Massachusetts+$92,000
Texas+$92,000
Virginia+$90,000
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $61,550 for Plumbers — a difference of $84,210 per year or $7,018 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Plumbers is $84,210 per year. Lawyers earn 58% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $954,545.
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, Alaska pays Plumbers the highest median salary at $82,320 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 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 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 Plumbers earn approximately $30 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.
