Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $170,660 a year ($82.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 19,040 of these jobs there. That is 214% above the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $84,840 and $344,160; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $117,990 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$170,660$82.05 per hour · $14,222 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$84,840$40.79/hr
25th percentile$119,970$57.68/hr
75th percentile$220,630$106.07/hr
90th percentile$344,160$165.46/hr
Jobs in this metro19,040Location quotient 1.35 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here214% aboveAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware2% belowStatewide median $173,510
Against the U.S.7% aboveNational median $159,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Lawyer salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$170,660
$65,000$345,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$170,660
Net 69%
Fed 17%
DE 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$117,990After all taxes
Monthly deposit$9,832Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$4,538Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate30.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$29,692 / yr
Delaware state income tax$9,923 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$13,055 / yr

Lawyers pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$40.79/hr$7,070$84,840$64,257
25th percentile$57.68/hr$9,998$119,970$86,652
MedianMedian$82.05/hr$14,222$170,660$117,990
75th percentile$106.07/hr$18,386$220,630$150,680
90th percentile$165.46/hr$28,680$344,160$221,469

Is $170,660 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers next to both.

Median household income$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household186.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Lawyer pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $170,660 in May 2025, about $14,222 a month or $82.05 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $173,510, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $82.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $40.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $165.46.

How many lawyers work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 19,040 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.35 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $84,840 at the 10th percentile to $119,970 at the 25th, $220,630 at the 75th, and $344,160 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $170,660, an estimated $117,990 lands in net take-home pay per year ($4,538 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $52,670 (an effective rate of 30.9%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $170,660, gross monthly income is $14,222. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $9,832 per month (or $4,538 every two weeks).

Is $170,660 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $170,660, the median salary for lawyers is 186.9% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 214% above the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.