Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $164,980 a year ($79.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,210 of these jobs there. That is 127% above the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $99,910 and $314,120; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $124,030 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA at a glance

Median salary

$164,980$79.32 per hour · $13,748 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$99,910$48.03/hr
25th percentile$127,870$61.48/hr
75th percentile$215,590$103.65/hr
90th percentile$314,120$151.02/hr
Jobs in this metro9,210Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here127% aboveAll-jobs median $72,610
Against Washington7% aboveStatewide median $154,130
Against the U.S.3% 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 Seattle-Tacoma, WA after taxes

$164,980
$65,000$330,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$164,980
Net 75%
Fed 17%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$124,030After all taxes
Monthly deposit$10,336Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$4,770Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate24.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$28,329 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$12,621 / yr

Lawyers pay range in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$48.03/hr$8,326$99,910$79,117
25th percentile$61.48/hr$10,656$127,870$98,665
MedianMedian$79.32/hr$13,748$164,980$124,030
75th percentile$103.65/hr$17,966$215,590$160,409
90th percentile$151.02/hr$26,177$314,120$224,023

Is $164,980 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

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

Median household income$115,177Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.111.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household143.2%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area was $164,980 in May 2025, about $13,748 a month or $79.32 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $154,130, so the metro pays 7% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $79.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $48.03 an hour and one in ten earned more than $151.02.

How many lawyers work in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS estimated 9,210 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run from $99,910 at the 10th percentile to $127,870 at the 25th, $215,590 at the 75th, and $314,120 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On a median gross salary of $164,980, an estimated $124,030 lands in net take-home pay per year ($4,770 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $40,950 (an effective rate of 24.8%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On the median annual salary of $164,980, gross monthly income is $13,748. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $10,336 per month (or $4,770 every two weeks).

Is $164,980 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

At $164,980, the median salary for lawyers is 143.2% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median household income ($115,177). It is 127% above the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.1, so prices here run 11.1% above the U.S. average.