How much does a Lawyer make in Idaho?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,280 for Lawyers in Idaho as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $84,530 and the 75th-percentile is $139,030.

How many Lawyers does Idaho employ?

BLS OES counts 2,070 Lawyers employed in Idaho in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Idaho rank for Lawyer pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Idaho ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Does the BLS lawyer median include partner profit-share in Idaho?

No — BLS OEWS captures W-2 wage and salary income only. Equity-partner distributions at law firms are reported on K-1 (partnership income), not W-2, and are excluded entirely. In Idaho BigLaw and major regional firms, this means the BLS-reported median understates total compensation for the partnership tier substantially: P90 partner draw often runs 3-10× the BLS-reported P90 once profits-per-equity-partner are factored in. The BLS figure on this page accurately represents salaried associates, of-counsel, and staff attorneys; it does not represent equity-partner income.

BigLaw associate vs in-house vs government vs solo practice in Idaho?

BLS aggregates all lawyers (23-1011) regardless of practice setting. In Idaho, BigLaw and major-market AmLaw 100/200 associates earn at or above BLS P90 on the published Cravath-adjacent pay scale plus year-end bonuses. In-house counsel at established companies sits mid-band with stronger work-life economics. Government attorneys (state AG, public defender, DOJ, federal agencies in Idaho) typically earn at or below BLS median, with PSLF loan-forgiveness eligibility partly compensating. Solo and small-firm practitioners are highly bimodal — successful niche practices in Idaho can exceed BigLaw associate pay; struggling solos earn below the median.

Is the Idaho bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?

Yes — Idaho's admission-on-motion rules (or UBE-score portability) determine whether out-of-state lawyers can practice without re-sitting the bar exam, which affects labor-supply elasticity for senior roles. Idaho markets that allow broad admission on motion typically see less premium for in-state-only attorneys at the lateral level. The DeepComps Bar Admission Reciprocity by State page (linked under license reciprocity) tracks current rules; states with strict re-sit requirements show more pay compression for incoming senior laterals.

Lawyer Salary in Idaho (2026): $102K Median, BEA RPP-Adjusted

TL;DR

Median Lawyer salary in Idaho: $102,280 nominal, $110,889 real (BEA RPP basis).
Low BEA RPP (92.2) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $8,609.
Bottom quartile $84,530, top quartile $139,030. The P90 ($229,800) is roughly 3.7× the P10 ($62,400).
Lawyer ranking: #41 on the BLS table, #42 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — Idaho

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$62,400	$67,653
P25 (lower quartile)	$84,530	$91,645
P50 (median)	$102,280	$110,889
P75 (upper quartile)	$139,030	$150,733
P90 (top tier)	$229,800	$249,144
Mean	$127,340	$138,059
Employment	2,070 Lawyers in Idaho

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Idaho index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	92.2
Goods	95.9
Services	68.1
Rents	86.9

Idaho sits below the national baseline (RPP 92.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 86.9.

After-tax take-home — Idaho (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer)	$102,280	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,749	13.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$5,019	5.8% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,824	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$75,688	74.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$82,059	÷ (92.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Idaho state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.9% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $75,688 (74.0% of gross). After the 92.2 RPP, real take-home is $82,059.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $151,160 for Lawyers with mean pay of $182,760 and total employment of 747,750. Idaho sits at #41 on nominal pay and #42 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Idaho falls 1 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Lawyer make in Idaho?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,280 for Lawyers in Idaho as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $84,530 and the 75th-percentile is $139,030.
How many Lawyers does Idaho employ?: BLS OES counts 2,070 Lawyers employed in Idaho in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Idaho rank for Lawyer pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Idaho ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Does the BLS lawyer median include partner profit-share in Idaho?: No — BLS OEWS captures W-2 wage and salary income only. Equity-partner distributions at law firms are reported on K-1 (partnership income), not W-2, and are excluded entirely. In Idaho BigLaw and major regional firms, this means the BLS-reported median understates total compensation for the partnership tier substantially: P90 partner draw often runs 3-10× the BLS-reported P90 once profits-per-equity-partner are factored in. The BLS figure on this page accurately represents salaried associates, of-counsel, and staff attorneys; it does not represent equity-partner income.
BigLaw associate vs in-house vs government vs solo practice in Idaho?: BLS aggregates all lawyers (23-1011) regardless of practice setting. In Idaho, BigLaw and major-market AmLaw 100/200 associates earn at or above BLS P90 on the published Cravath-adjacent pay scale plus year-end bonuses. In-house counsel at established companies sits mid-band with stronger work-life economics. Government attorneys (state AG, public defender, DOJ, federal agencies in Idaho) typically earn at or below BLS median, with PSLF loan-forgiveness eligibility partly compensating. Solo and small-firm practitioners are highly bimodal — successful niche practices in Idaho can exceed BigLaw associate pay; struggling solos earn below the median.
Is the Idaho bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?: Yes — Idaho's admission-on-motion rules (or UBE-score portability) determine whether out-of-state lawyers can practice without re-sitting the bar exam, which affects labor-supply elasticity for senior roles. Idaho markets that allow broad admission on motion typically see less premium for in-state-only attorneys at the lateral level. The DeepComps Bar Admission Reciprocity by State page (linked under license reciprocity) tracks current rules; states with strict re-sit requirements show more pay compression for incoming senior laterals.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 23-1011, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Idaho Lawyer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.