Average Rate

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that the average hourly pay rate in May 2009 for an attorney working in the United States was $62.03. This translates to a monthly income of $10,752 and an annual salary of $129,020.
  
  

Rate by Industry

• The bureau's survey revealed that the majority of attorneys work in the legal services industry or for government agencies. It listed the average hourly rate in legal services as $65.65. Attorneys working in federal government agencies received an average of $61.32, while those employed by their state counterparts earned $39.72. At the local government level, the average rate was $43.77. Among private sector industries, the highest wages were paid in petroleum and coal products manufacturing--$94.32. Agencies and managers of artists, athletes, entertainers and other public figures got $84.92 per hour.
  
  

Rate by Experience

• Wage comparison website PayScale.com surveyed attorney pay rates with respect to experience. It found that as practitioners gain more experience, the level and range of potential salary increases commensurately. In April 2011, it listed the average pay rate for an individual with less than 12 months in the profession as between $15.17 and $34.39. Someone with one to four years experience received between $20.33 and $76.83, while five to nine years brought an average of between $35.09 and $100.56. An attorney who has accrued 10 to 19 years experience earned between $49.36 and $194.89, while a veteran of 20 years or more could earn between $97.02 and $255.79.
  
  

Rate by Location

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics also analyzed the impact of location on an attorney's pay rate. It listed District of Columbia as the most lucrative location, averaging $75.36. New York, Delaware and California were among the states in which, across all industry sectors, attorneys were likely to receive high wages, with averages of $73.42, $73.22 and $73.06, respectively. Florida was listed at just $54.51. At the level of metropolitan districts, the San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, area of California topped the table at $92.32 while Santa Fe, New Mexico, was listed at $47.46.