How much does a Lawyer make in North Dakota?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $104,940 for Lawyers in North Dakota as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $95,640 and the 75th-percentile is $131,480.

Why is the BEA RPP for North Dakota different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. North Dakota's overall index of 88.2 reflects rents 69.3, services 75.0, and goods 97.0.

Where does North Dakota rank for Lawyer pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, North Dakota 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.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for North Dakota?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within North Dakota.

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.

BigLaw associate vs in-house vs government vs solo practice in North Dakota?

BLS aggregates all lawyers (23-1011) regardless of practice setting. In North Dakota, 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 North Dakota) 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 North Dakota can exceed BigLaw associate pay; struggling solos earn below the median.

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

Yes — North Dakota'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. North Dakota 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.

2026 Lawyer Salary — North Dakota ($105K BLS, RPP-Adjusted Real Wage)

TL;DR

Lawyers in North Dakota earn a BLS median of $104,940, with real take-home of $119,015 after BEA RPP adjustment.
Bottom quartile $95,640, top quartile $131,480. The P90 ($189,260) is roughly 2.5× the P10 ($75,000).
Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $14,075 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
Nominal: #38/51 · Real: #35/51 — ranking shifts by 3 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — North Dakota

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$75,000	$85,059
P25 (lower quartile)	$95,640	$108,467
P50 (median)	$104,940	$119,015
P75 (upper quartile)	$131,480	$149,114
P90 (top tier)	$189,260	$214,644
Mean	$122,430	$138,850
Employment	1,070 Lawyers in North Dakota

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	North Dakota index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	88.2
Goods	97.0
Services	75.0
Rents	69.3

North Dakota sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 69.3.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer)	$104,940	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$14,334	13.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$820	0–2.5% (graduated, 2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$8,028	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$81,759	77.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$92,724	÷ (88.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the North Dakota state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home

North Dakota's state tax is light at this income tier (~0.8% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the below-baseline cost of living (RPP 88.2), which lifts real take-home above nominal after-tax — net real after-tax $92,724.

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. North Dakota sits at #38 on nominal pay and #35 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, North Dakota climbs 3 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Lawyer make in North Dakota?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $104,940 for Lawyers in North Dakota as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $95,640 and the 75th-percentile is $131,480.
Why is the BEA RPP for North Dakota different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. North Dakota's overall index of 88.2 reflects rents 69.3, services 75.0, and goods 97.0.
Where does North Dakota rank for Lawyer pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, North Dakota 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.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for North Dakota?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within North Dakota.
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.
BigLaw associate vs in-house vs government vs solo practice in North Dakota?: BLS aggregates all lawyers (23-1011) regardless of practice setting. In North Dakota, 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 North Dakota) 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 North Dakota can exceed BigLaw associate pay; struggling solos earn below the median.
Is the North Dakota bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?: Yes — North Dakota'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. North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.