Lawyer demographics and statistics in the US
Lawyer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates lawyer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our lawyer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about lawyers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 19,521 lawyers currently employed in the United States.
- 51.5% of all lawyers are women, while 48.5% are men.
- The average lawyer age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of lawyers is White (76.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (5.4%).
- In 2022, women earned 93% of what men earned.
- 10% of all lawyers are LGBT.
- Lawyers are 86% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On This Page
Lawyer demographics by:
Lawyer gender statistics
51.5% of lawyers are women and 48.5% of lawyers are men.
- Female, 51.5%
- Male, 48.5%
Lawyer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 51.5% |
| Male | 48.5% |
Lawyer gender pay gap
Women earn 93ยข for every $1 earned by men
Male Income
$98,154
Female Income
$91,389
Lawyer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in lawyer positions over time. Currently, 51.5% of lawyers are female.
Lawyer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 55.57% | 44.43% |
| 2011 | 54.76% | 45.24% |
| 2012 | 54.57% | 45.43% |
| 2013 | 53.94% | 46.06% |
| 2014 | 53.84% | 46.16% |
| 2015 | 51.14% | 48.86% |
| 2016 | 51.05% | 48.95% |
| 2017 | 51.16% | 48.84% |
| 2018 | 51.56% | 48.44% |
| 2019 | 50.83% | 49.17% |
| 2020 | 48.92% | 51.08% |
| 2021 | 48.49% | 51.51% |
Lawyer related jobs gender ratio
We compared lawyers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job Title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Lawyer | 48% | 52% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Lawyer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among lawyers is White, which makes up 76.0% of all lawyers. Comparatively, 7.7% of lawyers are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of lawyers are Asian.
- White, 76.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 5.4%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Lawyer Race
| Lawyer Race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Lawyer race and ethnicity over time
See how lawyer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
- White
- Asian
- Hispanic or Latino
- Black or African American
Lawyer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.63% | 5.02% | 4.68% | 5.86% |
| 2011 | 82.40% | 5.33% | 4.84% | 5.70% |
| 2012 | 82.47% | 4.96% | 5.01% | 5.88% |
| 2013 | 82.23% | 5.04% | 5.05% | 5.62% |
| 2014 | 81.57% | 5.54% | 5.28% | 5.76% |
| 2015 | 81.47% | 5.20% | 5.36% | 6.18% |
| 2016 | 80.90% | 5.26% | 5.52% | 6.46% |
| 2017 | 80.93% | 5.24% | 5.49% | 6.24% |
| 2018 | 80.29% | 5.41% | 5.42% | 6.85% |
| 2019 | 79.83% | 5.39% | 5.80% | 6.91% |
| 2020 | 77.31% | 5.30% | 6.11% | 7.06% |
| 2021 | 75.97% | 5.43% | 6.27% | 7.65% |
Lawyer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian lawyers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american lawyers have the lowest average salary at $92,943.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $97,191 |
| White | $100,433 |
| Black or African American | $92,943 |
| Asian | $105,948 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $94,781 |
Average lawyer age
See how the average age of lawyers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Lawyer age by race and gender
| Race | Male Age | Female Age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Lawyer age breakdown
The average age of lawyers is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the lawyer population.
Lawyer age breakdown
| Lawyer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Lawyer educational attainment
The most common degree for lawyers is bachelor's degree, with 51% of lawyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 26% and doctoral degree degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Doctorate, 26%
- Master's, 15%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Lawyers by degree level
| Lawyer Degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 51% |
| Doctorate | 26% |
| Master's | 15% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Lawyer Jobs You Might Like
Lawyer employment statistics
Most lawyers work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where lawyers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where lawyers work.
Lawyer jobs by employer size
| Company Size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 19% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 38% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Lawyer jobs by company type
Employees with the lawyer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most lawyers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Lawyer jobs by sector
| Company Type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 86% |
| Government | 4% |
Lawyer jobs by industry
The most common industries for lawyers are professional, finance and technology.
Lawyer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 64% |
| Finance | 11% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Lawyer turnover and employment statistics
Lawyer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for lawyers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Unemployment rate
Lawyer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Lawyer Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average lawyer tenure
The average lawyer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,330 lawyers resumes in Zippia's database.
Lawyer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Lawyer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of lawyers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job Title | LGBT | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Office Manager And Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 37,838 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Lawyer | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar lawyer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Office Manager And Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 37,838 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by lawyers
The most common foreign language among lawyers is Spanish at 42.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.4% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 7.6%.
- Spanish, 42.8%
- French, 14.4%
- Portuguese, 7.6%
- Russian, 6.9%
- Arabic, 5.9%
- Other, 22.4%
Lawyer languages spoken
| Foreign Language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.8% |
| French | 14.4% |
| Portuguese | 7.6% |
| Russian | 6.9% |
| Arabic | 5.9% |
| Other | 22.4% |
