National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Registered Nurses at $93,600/year. Lawyers earn 36% more nationally. The gap is $52,160 per year — or $4,347 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Registered Nurse
$93,600
national median/year
$7,800/mo • $45/hr
Annual salary gap
$52,160
Lawyers earn 36% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $591,249.
Best states for Registered Nurses
vs Lawyers
Hawaii+$-7,520
Alaska+$-11,520
Oregon+$-17,920
South Dakota+$-21,920
Montana+$-23,520
Best states for Lawyers
vs Registered Nurses
New York+$79,520
Texas+$65,920
Illinois+$60,320
Massachusetts+$60,320
Virginia+$60,320
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $93,600 for Registered Nurses — a difference of $52,160 per year or $4,347 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Registered Nurses is $52,160 per year. Lawyers earn 36% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $591,249.
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 Registered Nurses the highest median salary at $133,300 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 Registered Nurses 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 Registered Nurses earn approximately $45 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.
