National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Real Estate Agents at $61,480/year. Lawyers earn 58% more nationally. The gap is $84,280 per year — or $7,023 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Real Estate Agent
$61,480
national median/year
$5,123/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$84,280
Lawyers earn 58% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $955,339.
Best states for Real Estate Agents
vs Lawyers
Hawaii+$-41,840
South Dakota+$-45,840
Montana+$-49,840
West Virginia+$-49,840
Mississippi+$-51,840
Best states for Lawyers
vs Real Estate Agents
New York+$105,840
California+$95,840
Massachusetts+$93,840
Illinois+$87,840
Texas+$85,840
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $61,480 for Real Estate Agents — a difference of $84,280 per year or $7,023 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Real Estate Agents is $84,280 per year. Lawyers earn 58% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $955,339.
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 Real Estate Agents the highest median salary at $82,480 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 Real Estate Sales Agents 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 Real Estate Agents 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.
