Georgia's mean lawyer salary of $191,190 ranks above all five comparison states in this dataset, including Texas at $180,370 and Virginia at $179,240. At the median level, however, Georgia's $134,830 falls below both Texas and Virginia, which means mid-range candidates may weigh those markets as equally or more attractive. When competing for experienced lawyers who have options across the Southeast, factor in that your total compensation package will need to account for this regional context.
Lawyer salary in Georgia (2026)
The average lawyer salary in Georgia is $191,190 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $134,830 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Georgia employs 23,930 lawyers across the state, and the $56,360 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior lawyers in Georgia typically earn around $58,750, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $317,820 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a lawyer hire in Georgia, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $134,830 |
Average Annual Salary | $191,190 |
vs. National Average | 2.9% above the national mean of $185,840 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 23,930 employed lawyers across Georgia.
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Lawyer salary percentiles in Georgia
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $58,750 |
25th Percentile | $84,460 |
75th Percentile | $202,800 |
90th Percentile | $317,820 |
When setting an offer for a lawyer in Georgia, the wide spread between $58,750 at the 10th percentile and $317,820 at the 90th percentile means seniority and practice area will drive your number more than geography alone. Candidates with specialized expertise or significant experience will expect compensation well above the $134,830 median, so build your offer range around the specific level of the role before benchmarking against the statewide figures.
Lawyer salary by city in Georgia
City | Average Annual Salary |
Atlanta | $206,950 |
Savannah | $140,960 |
Macon | $132,500 |
Augusta | $131,910 |
Columbus | $129,080 |
Employers hiring lawyers outside Atlanta can expect meaningfully lower compensation benchmarks, which gives non-Atlanta offices a real cost advantage when budgeting legal roles. Atlanta's average of $206,950 runs $66,000 higher than Columbus at $129,080, the lowest-average market in the data. If your team is distributed across Georgia, use city-level figures rather than the statewide average to set location-appropriate offers.
How Georgia compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Georgia | $191,190 | $134,830 |
Texas | $180,370 | $154,200 |
Virginia | $179,240 | $167,210 |
Tennessee | $163,870 | $136,180 |
Florida | $162,060 | $133,180 |
North Carolina | $160,340 | $127,710 |
Georgia employers face higher average compensation expectations than all five comparison states, so budget accordingly when competing for talent that could also consider Texas or Virginia. Georgia's mean of $191,190 sits above Texas at $180,370 and Virginia at $179,240, the next two highest-paying states in this group. The gap is less pronounced at the median level, where Georgia's $134,830 falls below Texas at $154,200 and Virginia at $167,210, suggesting that mid-market candidates may find neighboring states more competitive.
Frequently asked questions about lawyer salary in Georgia
How does Georgia compare to other states for lawyer salary?
What do the top-earning lawyers make in Georgia?
Lawyers at the 90th percentile in Georgia earn $317,820 per year. The 75th percentile sits at $202,800, so the jump to top-earner territory is steep and typically reflects highly specialized practice areas or senior partnership-level roles. When budgeting for senior legal talent, plan for offers well above the $134,830 median and use the 75th and 90th percentile figures as your upper anchors.
What is the salary range for a lawyer in Georgia?
The full salary range for lawyers in Georgia runs from $58,750 at the 10th percentile to $317,820 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market sits between $84,460 at the 25th percentile and $202,800 at the 75th percentile, which is where most hiring decisions will land. Use the 25th-to-75th percentile band as your core budgeting range and adjust up or down based on the seniority and specialization of the specific role.
What is the average lawyer salary in Georgia?
The average lawyer salary in Georgia is $191,190 per year. That figure sits 2.9% above the national mean of $185,840, and it is pulled upward by a concentration of high earners at the top of the market. The median of $134,830 is the more practical anchor for most hiring decisions, particularly for roles below the senior or partner level.
Lawyer salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 23-1011 (Lawyers).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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