National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Welders at $47,990/year. Lawyers earn 67% more nationally. The gap is $97,770 per year — or $8,148 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Welder
$47,990
national median/year
$3,999/mo • $23/hr
Annual salary gap
$97,770
Lawyers earn 67% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,108,252.
Best states for Welders
vs Lawyers
North Dakota+$-43,330
South Dakota+$-45,330
Wyoming+$-45,330
West Virginia+$-47,330
Alaska+$-51,330
Best states for Lawyers
vs Welders
New York+$129,330
California+$121,330
Massachusetts+$111,330
New Jersey+$101,330
Texas+$97,330
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $47,990 for Welders — a difference of $97,770 per year or $8,148 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Welders is $97,770 per year. Lawyers earn 67% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,108,252.
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 Welders the highest median salary at $66,990 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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 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 Welders earn approximately $23 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.
