National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Nurses earn a national median of $89,010/year vs Lawyers at $145,760/year. Lawyers earn 64% more nationally. The gap is $56,750 per year — or $4,729 per month.
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Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
VS
Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
Annual salary gap
$56,750
Lawyers earn 64% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $643,278.
Best states for Lawyers
vs Nurses
New York+$89,000
Massachusetts+$70,000
Texas+$70,000
Virginia+$70,000
Illinois+$68,000
Best states for Nurses
vs Lawyers
Hawaii+$-14,000
Alaska+$-20,080
West Virginia+$-26,000
Wyoming+$-26,000
Mississippi+$-28,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Nurses is $89,010 versus $145,760 for Lawyers — a difference of $56,750 per year or $4,729 per month.
The national median salary gap between Nurses and Lawyers is $56,750 per year. Lawyers earn 64% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $643,278.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Lawyers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Registered Nurses and Lawyers 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, Nurses earn approximately $43 per hour nationally and Lawyers earn approximately $70 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.
