National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Police Officers at $72,280/year. Lawyers earn 50% more nationally. The gap is $73,480 per year — or $6,123 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Police Officer
$72,280
national median/year
$6,023/mo • $35/hr
Annual salary gap
$73,480
Lawyers earn 50% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $832,917.
Best states for Police Officers
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$-30,000
Hawaii+$-36,000
Wyoming+$-36,000
South Dakota+$-38,000
North Dakota+$-40,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Police Officers
New York+$104,000
Texas+$86,000
Virginia+$84,000
Massachusetts+$80,000
California+$70,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $72,280 for Police Officers — a difference of $73,480 per year or $6,123 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Police Officers is $73,480 per year. Lawyers earn 50% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $832,917.
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 Police Officers the highest median salary at $108,320 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 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 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 Police Officers earn approximately $35 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.
