Lawyer salary in Boston, MA
Based on 90 certified H-1B filings in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Everett, Burlington, Lexington.
Also listed as: Attorney, Associate Lawyer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $91,368 |
| 25th | $156,430 |
| 50th (median) | $225,000 |
| 75th | $269,314 |
| 90th | $393,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $190,000 | $105,000 | $200,000 | 53 |
| FY2021 | $190,000 | $144,000 | $220,000 | 50 |
| FY2022 | $200,000 | $100,000 | $215,000 | 41 |
| FY2023 | $215,000 | $125,840 | $295,000 | 51 |
| FY2024 | $221,000 | $122,750 | $267,500 | 50 |
| FY2025 | $225,000 | $93,080 | $260,000 | 40 |
| FY2026 | $225,000 | $163,873 | $285,293 | 50 |
Cost of living
Boston's median Lawyer salary of $225,000 is worth about $207,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Lawyers in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $183,350 in May 2025 (20,080 employed). The H-1B median here is $225,000, 23% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Ropes & Gray | $310,000 | 10 |
| Goodwin Procter | too few | 6 |
| White & Case | too few | 5 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | too few | 4 |
| Latham & Watkins | too few | 4 |
| Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr | too few | 4 |
| Centurion Legal Group | too few | 3 |
| Mass Island | too few | 2 |
| Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky And Popeo, P.c. | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $146,177 | 39 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $260,000 | 26 |
| Senior · Level III | $255,000 | 14 |
| Expert · Level IV | $435,000 | 10 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $99,840 | $146,177 | 39 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $163,030 | $260,000 | 26 |
| Senior · Level III | $196,602 | $255,000 | 14 |
| Expert · Level IV | $289,390 | $435,000 | 10 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.