First Year Law Associate Salary
$46K - $57.5K
3% of jobs
$57.5K - $69K
7% of jobs
$80.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$69K - $80.5K
16% of jobs
$80.5K - $92K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $99.6K / yr.
$92K - $103.5K
15% of jobs
$103.5K - $115K
11% of jobs
$125.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$115K - $126.5K
10% of jobs
$126.5K - $138K
9% of jobs
$138K - $149.5K
6% of jobs
$149.5K - $161K
6% of jobs
$161K - $172.5K
3% of jobs
$46K
$100K
$172.5K
$108,160
/year
$52.00
/hour
First Year Law Associate Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$108,160
Columbus
Ohio
$104,472
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How much does a First Year Law Associate make?
As of Sep 5, 2026, the average annual pay for a First Year Law Associate in the United States is $108,160 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $52.00 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,080/week or $9,013/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $172,500 and as low as $46,000, the majority of First Year Law Associate salaries currently range between $80,000 (25th percentile) to $130,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $155,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a First Year Law Associate varies greatly (by as much as 50000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A First Year Law Associate in your area makes on average $104,472 per year, or $3,688 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $108,160. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for First Year Law Associate salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for First Year Law Associate jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a First Year Law Associate on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for First Year Law Associate Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a First Year Law Associate job is above the national average. Topping the list is Honolulu County, HI, , with Long Beach, CA, and Lebanon, NH, close behind in the second and third positions. Lebanon, NH, beats the national average by $46,510 (43.0%), and Honolulu County, HI, furthers that trend with another $61,101 (56.5%) above the $108,160 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a First Year Law Associate appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 12% between Honolulu County, HI, and Central Falls, RI, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a First Year Law Associate role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Honolulu County, HI | $169,261 | $81.38 |
Long Beach, CA | $159,371 | $76.62 |
Lebanon, NH | $154,670 | $74.36 |
Cincinnati, IA | $153,279 | $73.69 |
Clark County, NV | $151,510 | $72.84 |
North Kingstown, RI | $151,432 | $72.80 |
Oakland, AR | $151,354 | $72.77 |
North Scituate, RI | $149,570 | $71.91 |
Valley Falls, RI | $149,102 | $71.68 |
Central Falls, RI | $149,059 | $71.66 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related First Year Law Associate Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the First Year Law Associate category.
For example Senior Associate Lawyer jobs pay as much as $27,983 (25.9%) more than the average First Year Law Associate salary of $108,160. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Associate Lawyer may help you make more money than that of the average First Year Law Associate position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Associate Lawyer | $136,143 | $65.45 |
Discovery Attorney | $118,886 | $57.16 |
Associate Lawyer | $108,160 | $52.00 |
Junior Marketing Associate | $57,652 | $27.72 |
Communications Associate | $57,489 | $27.64 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
