How Much Does an Appellate Attorney Make in California?

Updated April 01, 2025
As of April 01, 2025, the average annual pay of Appellate Attorney in California is $211,448. While Salary.com is seeing that Appellate Attorney salary in CA can go up to $254,029 or down to $160,186, but most earn between $184,615 and $233,737. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and your experience levels. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
25% $184,615 10% $160,186 90% $254,029 75% $233,737 $211,448 50%(Median)
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Similar Job Salaries to Appellate Attorney by Company

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Company average base salary in (usd) range
Black Lawyers
California Appellate Project – Attorney (CA Racial Justice Act Coordinator)
$173,210/yr
$155,548
$190,873
RANGE: $155,548 - $190,873
Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.
Appellate Attorney
$148,126/yr
$133,820
$162,433
RANGE: $133,820 - $162,433
Robert Half
Appellate Attorney
$164,414/yr
$148,534
$180,293
RANGE: $148,534 - $180,293
Hall Prangle and Schoonveld
Appellate Associate Attorney
$149,971/yr
$134,907
$165,036
RANGE: $134,907 - $165,036
Lewis Brisbois
Appellate Associate Attorney
$168,185/yr
$151,290
$185,079
RANGE: $151,290 - $185,079
Jobot
Motion & Appellate Attorney
$181,847/yr
$164,283
$199,410
RANGE: $164,283 - $199,410
Kanner & Pintaluga
Plaintiff Appellate Attorney
$152,833/yr
$138,072
$167,595
RANGE: $138,072 - $167,595
Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP
Appellate Attorney – Tampa
$148,722/yr
$134,358
$163,086
RANGE: $134,358 - $163,086
Direct Counsel
Appellate Litigation Associate Attorney
$154,841/yr
$139,842
$169,840
RANGE: $139,842 - $169,840
Office of the West Virginia Attorney General
Assistant Attorney General-DHS Appellate
$147,998/yr
$133,769
$162,226
RANGE: $133,769 - $162,226

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Top 10 Highest Paying Cities For Appellate Attorney Jobs in California

It is important to understand how location impacts your career prospects in the United States. There are some cities where an Appellate Attorney can find a job easily with a greater salary paid then achieve a higher standard of living. Below is the top cities list for Appellate Attorney job salaries in California. Some cities can pay higher salaries for Appellate Attorney jobs, which can indicate that there is a large demand for Appellate Attorney positions in this city.
The following table shows top 10 cities where the Appellate Attorney salary is higher than other cities in California. San Jose takes first place in this list, followed by Santa Clara, Fremont. The Appellate Attorney salary is $241,795 in San Jose, which is higher than the national average. There are 76 cities' Appellate Attorney salary higher than national average in California.
The average salary for an Appellate Attorney in California is $211,448, but we found that the city with the highest salary for Appellate Attorney jobs is San Jose, CA, and it is higher than Santa Clara. Appellate Attorney jobs in San Jose can have the opportunity to earn higher salaries than in other cities in California.
CITY ANNUAL SALARY MONTHLY PAY WEEKLY PAY HOURLY WAGE
San Jose $241,795 $20,150 $4,650 $116
Santa Clara $241,795 $20,150 $4,650 $116
Fremont $241,335 $20,111 $4,641 $116
San Francisco $239,418 $19,951 $4,604 $115
Daly City $239,418 $19,951 $4,604 $115
Berkeley $234,107 $19,509 $4,502 $113
Oakland $234,107 $19,509 $4,502 $113
Hayward $233,724 $19,477 $4,495 $112
Antioch $220,880 $18,407 $4,248 $106
Vallejo $215,666 $17,972 $4,147 $104

What Does an Appellate Attorney Do?

The Office of the Appellate Defender is a not-for-profit public interest organization with 16 attorneys—five supervising attorneys and 11 staff attorneys.
Updated October 23, 2021
For all these reasons, and more, it is critical that you hire an experienced appellate law attorney to handle your case.
Updated December 21, 2021
As a result, appellate attorneys often have very specialized skill sets and an ability to question how a case was tried, how evidence was admitted or not, or how the original trial was flawed or violated procedure.
Updated December 17, 2021
An appeal does not work like a trial at the lower level, where witnesses are called and evidence submitted to the court, and an appellate attorney specializes in the way that appellate law works at the higher levels of the court system.
Updated November 27, 2021
Judge Loken sat on the panel of my first appellate argument as a young attorney many years ago, a pro bono habeas petition.
Updated November 16, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions About an Appellate Attorney Salaries

What is the average of an Appellate Attorney in California?

The Appellate Attorney salary range is from $184,615 to $233,737, and the average Appellate Attorney salary is $211,448/year in California. The Appellate Attorney's salary will change in different locations.

Which location pays the highest Appellate Attorney salary in the United States?

The Appellate Attorney salary in San Jose, CA is $241,795 which is the highest in the US.

What kinds of reasons will influence the Appellate Attorney's salary?

Besides the location, employees' education degree, related skills, and work experience also will influence the salary. Try to improve your skills and experience to get a higher salary for the position of Appellate Attorney.

What is the growth rate of the Appellate Attorney's salary?

If you are thinking of becoming an Appellate Attorney or planning the next step in your career, find the detailed salary report of an Appellate Attorney.