Thanks to Biglaw’s bountiful compensation, the legal profession has long been known for its flashy salaries, but even with their generous paychecks, some associates are living much larger than others — and it’s all because of where they live.
The National Jurist recently decided to dig into the data to determine which cities, when adjusted for cost of living, “strike the right balance between compensation and affordability” for law school graduates. Here’s their methodology:
To identify the top cities for law firm jobs, we used mean salary data from the National Association for Law Placement’s Class of 2023 report and adjusted it for cost-of-living differences across the country.
So, which cities are the best for law firm associates based on this calculation? Where can they get the best combination of high compensation with a low cost of living?
Without further ado, these are the 10 cities where associates can stretch their salaries the furthest (adjusted salaries noted):
- Houston, TX: $291,436
- Austin, TX: $265,151
- Dallas, TX: $260,436
- Washington, DC: $259,341
- Chicago, IL: $243,116
- Los Angeles, CA: $241,341
- Minneapolis, MN: $231,640
- Charlotte, NC: $229,400
- Boston, MA: $225,990
- Salt Lake City, UT: $225,330
Click here to see the rest of the list.
And what about the worst cities for associates in terms of making their money work for them? Here’s more from the National Jurist:
The best cities for new grads aren’t always the flashiest — they’re places where salaries stretch further, debt becomes more manageable, and young lawyers can build careers without sacrificing lifestyle.
It may be time for lawyers to say sayonara to big East and West Coast cities and move to Texas to truly enjoy their salaries.
Biggest salaries, recalculated [National Jurist]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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