Lawyer · Texas · SOC 23-1011
Lawyer Salary in Texas (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- BLS reports Texas Lawyer median pay at $133,570. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $137,503.
- Lawyer ranking: #15 on the BLS table, #16 once cost of living is in.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Mid-band breakdown: P25 $94,450, P50 $133,570, P75 $207,930. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.
Wage breakdown — Texas
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $61,930 | $63,753 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $94,450 | $97,231 |
| P50 (median) | $133,570 | $137,503 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $207,930 | $214,052 |
| P90 (top tier) | ||
| Mean | $162,840 | $167,634 |
| Employment | 54,680 Lawyers in Texas | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Texas index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 97.1 |
| Goods | 98.1 |
| Services | 92.4 |
| Rents | 97.5 |
Texas's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Texas (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer) | $133,570 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$20,875 | 15.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | $0 | no state income tax |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$10,218 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $102,477 | 76.7% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $105,494 | ÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Texas state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home
Texas levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $6,679 a year for a Lawyer at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $105,494 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.
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. Texas sits at #15 on nominal pay and #16 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Texas falls 1 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Lawyer make in Texas?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $133,570 for Lawyers in Texas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $94,450 and the 75th-percentile is $207,930.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Lawyer salary in Texas?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 97.1 for Texas), the real-wage equivalent is $137,503 — what the $133,570 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $97,231 to $214,052.
- How are Texas Lawyer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- Is Texas a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Lawyers?
- No — Texas's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Texas?
- 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 Texas.
- BigLaw associate vs in-house vs government vs solo practice in Texas?
- BLS aggregates all lawyers (23-1011) regardless of practice setting. In Texas, 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 Texas) 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 Texas can exceed BigLaw associate pay; struggling solos earn below the median.
- Is the Texas bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?
- Yes — Texas'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. Texas 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Texas 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.