San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $301,320 a year ($144.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,040 of these jobs there. That is 259% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $129,350 and $421,000; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $192,106 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$301,320$144.87 per hour · $25,110 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$129,350$62.19/hr
25th percentile$176,840$85.02/hr
75th percentile$375,400$180.48/hr
90th percentile$421,000$202.40/hr
Jobs in this metro6,040Location quotient 1.10 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here259% aboveAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California54% aboveStatewide median $195,080
Against the U.S.89% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$301,320
$120,000$600,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$301,320
Net 64%
Fed 23%
CA 8%
FICA 6%
Annual take-home$192,106After all taxes
Monthly deposit$16,009Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$7,389Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate36.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$68,596 / yr
California state income tax$23,898 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$16,720 / yr

Lawyers pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$62.19/hr$10,779$129,350$91,892
25th percentile$85.02/hr$14,737$176,840$119,935
MedianMedian$144.87/hr$25,110$301,320$192,106
75th percentile$180.48/hr$31,283$375,400$231,595
90th percentile$202.40/hr$35,083$421,000$255,484

Is $301,320 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

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

Median household income$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household185.9%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $301,320 in May 2025, about $25,110 a month or $144.87 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $195,080, so the metro pays 54% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $144.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $62.19 an hour and one in ten earned more than $202.40.

How many lawyers work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 6,040 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.10 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $129,350 at the 10th percentile to $176,840 at the 25th, $375,400 at the 75th, and $421,000 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $301,320, an estimated $192,106 lands in net take-home pay per year ($7,389 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $109,214 (an effective rate of 36.2%).

How much do lawyers make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $301,320, gross monthly income is $25,110. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $16,009 per month (or $7,389 every two weeks).

Is $301,320 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $301,320, the median salary for lawyers is 185.9% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 259% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.