2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Los Angeles vs. Washington

Lawyers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 23-1011
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
100k200k300k LOS ANGELES $194,410 WASHINGTON $195,190
Table 1 — Adjusted

Washington's median is 0.4% higher — but after local prices, Washington still leads by 4.7%.

Los Angeles's median $194,410 buys $171,200 at national prices (price parity 113.6); Washington's $195,190 buys $179,300 (108.9).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Washington against Los Angeles.

Los AngelesWashingtonΔ
Employment41,58046,840+12.7%
10th percentile$93,980$106,520+13.3%
25th percentile$128,630$161,470+25.5%
Median$194,410$195,190+0.4%
75th percentile$271,790$309,140+13.7%
90th percentile$375,440$382,890+2.0%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Lawyers in Los Angeles · Lawyers in Washington

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.