National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Social Workers at $54,150/year. Lawyers earn 63% more nationally. The gap is $91,610 per year — or $7,634 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$91,610
Lawyers earn 63% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,038,426.
Best states for Social Workers
vs Lawyers
South Dakota+$-50,000
West Virginia+$-50,000
Mississippi+$-52,000
North Dakota+$-54,000
Wyoming+$-54,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Social Workers
New York+$126,000
California+$110,000
Massachusetts+$106,000
New Jersey+$100,000
Texas+$100,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $54,150 for Social Workers — a difference of $91,610 per year or $7,634 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Social Workers is $91,610 per year. Lawyers earn 63% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,038,426.
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 Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 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 Child, Family, and School Social Workers 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 Social Workers earn approximately $26 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.
