Rochester, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Rochester, NY?

In the Rochester, NY metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $148,150 a year ($71.23 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,710 of these jobs there. That is 189% above the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $82,190 and $325,280; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $104,365 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Rochester, NY at a glance

Median salary

$148,150$71.23 per hour · $12,346 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$82,190$39.51/hr
25th percentile$102,970$49.51/hr
75th percentile$218,930$105.26/hr
90th percentile$325,280$156.39/hr
Jobs in this metro1,710Location quotient 0.71 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here189% aboveAll-jobs median $51,210
Against New York29% belowStatewide median $207,860
Against the U.S.7% belowNational 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 Rochester, NY after taxes

$148,150
$55,000$300,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$148,150
Net 70%
Fed 16%
NY 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$104,365After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,697Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$4,014Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate29.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$24,290 / yr
New York state income tax$8,161 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$11,333 / yr

Lawyers pay range in Rochester, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Rochester, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the Rochester, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$39.51/hr$6,849$82,190$62,809
25th percentile$49.51/hr$8,581$102,970$76,234
MedianMedian$71.23/hr$12,346$148,150$104,365
75th percentile$105.26/hr$18,244$218,930$150,340
90th percentile$156.39/hr$27,107$325,280$209,281

Is $148,150 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

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

Median household income$76,284Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.03% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household194.2%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Rochester, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Rochester, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Rochester, NY metro area was $148,150 in May 2025, about $12,346 a month or $71.23 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $207,860, so the metro pays 29% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Rochester, NY?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Rochester, NY was $71.23 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $39.51 an hour and one in ten earned more than $156.39.

How many lawyers work in Rochester, NY?

BLS estimated 1,710 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.71 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Rochester, NY?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Rochester, NY run from $82,190 at the 10th percentile to $102,970 at the 25th, $218,930 at the 75th, and $325,280 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Rochester, NY?

On a median gross salary of $148,150, an estimated $104,365 lands in net take-home pay per year ($4,014 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $43,785 (an effective rate of 29.6%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Rochester, NY?

On the median annual salary of $148,150, gross monthly income is $12,346. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,697 per month (or $4,014 every two weeks).

Is $148,150 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

At $148,150, the median salary for lawyers is 194.2% of the Rochester, NY median household income ($76,284). It is 189% above the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.0, so prices here run 3% below the U.S. average.