Lawyers Salary
Lawyers in Urban Honolulu, HI make a median of $120,870 a year, or about $58.11 an hour. The range runs from $73K at the entry level to $179K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.96), so that salary is closer to $108,931 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,642/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $121K get you in Urban Honolulu?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Urban Honolulu’s Regional Price Parity (110.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Urban Honolulu
Pay for lawyers in Urban Honolulu runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $160K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,642/month, which is 37.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.96), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for lawyerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lawyers in metros near Urban Honolulu, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku | $148K | $136K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Urban Honolulu, HI
Entry-level lawyers (10th percentile) start around $73K. Mid-career wages sit at $121K. Top earners bring in $179K or more, a $106K spread from bottom to top.
Lawyers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lawyers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $208K | +30% | 91,870 |
| District of Columbia | $195K | +22% | 33,070 |
| California | $195K | +22% | 95,770 |
| Massachusetts | $177K | +11% | 23,560 |
| Delaware | $174K | +9% | 2,920 |
| Colorado | $169K | +6% | 16,720 |
| Virginia | $167K | +5% | 18,580 |
| Connecticut | $164K | +2% | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $161K | +1% | 23,160 |
| Illinois | $161K | +1% | 33,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $157K | -2% | 27,170 |
| Minnesota | $155K | -3% | 12,380 |
| Texas | $154K | -3% | 56,580 |
| Washington | $154K | -3% | 12,770 |
| Nevada | $151K | -6% | 6,490 |
| Alaska | $150K | -6% | 1,120 |
| Maryland | $139K | -13% | 13,810 |
| Rhode Island | $139K | -13% | 1,840 |
| Oregon | $138K | -13% | 7,150 |
| Tennessee | $136K | -15% | 9,010 |
| Georgia | $135K | -16% | 23,930 |
| Arizona | $134K | -16% | 11,640 |
| Missouri | $133K | -16% | 11,560 |
| Florida | $133K | -17% | 55,210 |
| Utah | $133K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Alabama | $132K | -17% | 6,730 |
| Ohio | $131K | -18% | 19,950 |
| Michigan | $131K | -18% | 16,620 |
| North Carolina | $128K | -20% | 17,000 |
| Vermont | $127K | -20% | 1,330 |
| Indiana | $127K | -21% | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $127K | -21% | 9,160 |
| Hawaii | $125K | -22% | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $124K | -23% | 3,550 |
| New Hampshire | $121K | -24% | 2,250 |
| South Carolina | $120K | -25% | 7,890 |
| New Mexico | $120K | -25% | 3,380 |
| Maine | $113K | -29% | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $109K | -32% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $107K | -33% | 1,050 |
| Kansas | $107K | -33% | 4,190 |
| Louisiana | $104K | -35% | 10,200 |
| Montana | $104K | -35% | 2,380 |
| Idaho | $103K | -35% | 2,490 |
| Oklahoma | $103K | -35% | 6,980 |
| West Virginia | $102K | -36% | 2,440 |
| South Dakota | $102K | -36% | 1,360 |
| Kentucky | $102K | -36% | 5,770 |
| Wyoming | $100K | -37% | 900 |
| Arkansas | $99K | -38% | 3,430 |
| Mississippi | $92K | -43% | 3,100 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track lawyers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Urban Honolulu numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Urban Honolulu?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $121K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,642/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for lawyers in Urban Honolulu?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lawyers typically earn — is $73K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,369/month. At HUD’s $2,642/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is lawyer a high-paying job in Urban Honolulu?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $121K here vs. $160K nationally.
How does Urban Honolulu compare to the national average for lawyers?
Urban Honolulu pays $121K median vs. the U.S. average of $160K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — below the national median.
How much do lawyers make in Urban Honolulu, HI?
The median is $120,870 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,820, and experienced lawyers can clear $179,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $121K enough to live in Urban Honolulu?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,027/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,642/month, which eats 37.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a lawyers salary go in Urban Honolulu?
Urban Honolulu has a Regional Price Parity of 110.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lawyers salary is worth about $108,931 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lawyers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.