What are the main factors that influence a Contracts Attorney's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Contracts Attorney's salary?

A Contracts Attorney's salary grows with experience: an Attorney I (0-2 years)earns $101,007, an Attorney II (2-4 years)earns $134,086, an Contracts Attorney (4-7 years)earns $189,389, an Attorney IV (7+ years)earns $215,630, an Attorney V (7-10 years)earns $255,890,

What are the highest paying states for a Contracts Attorney?

Contracts Attorney salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Contracts Attorney roles are District of Columbia $208,499, California $207,708, Massachusetts $204,940. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Contracts Attorney roles make?

Salaries for Contracts Attorney level roles vary by specialization: Attorney VI: $293,265; Attorney V: $253,482; Attorney IV: $213,601; IP Attorney II: $195,090; Attorney III: $187,607.

How do different companies affect a Contracts Attorney's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Contracts Attorney roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Contracts Attorney Salary in the United States

How much does a Contracts Attorney make in the United States?

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Contracts Attorney in the United States is $188,312 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $91.

However, a Contracts Attorney's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $224,746
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $172,799 to $207,383
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $158,675

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Contracts Attorney Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$207,383	$17,282	$3,988	$100
Average	$188,312	$15,693	$3,621	$91
25th Percentile	$172,799	$14,400	$3,323	$83

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Key Factors That Influence Contracts Attorney Salaries

A Contracts Attorney's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Contracts Attorney Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Contracts Attorney's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $101,007
Early Career (1-2 years): $134,086
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $189,389
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $215,630
Expert (over 8 years): $255,890

Levels	Salary
Attorney ... Level Contracts Attorney	$101,007
Attorney ... Level Contracts Attorney	$134,086
Contracts... Level Contracts Attorney	$189,389
Attorney ... Level Contracts Attorney	$215,630
Attorney ... Level Contracts Attorney	$255,890

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Contracts Attorney Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Contracts Attorneys. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $208,499.
California: $207,708.
Massachusetts: $204,940.

District of Columbia $208,499 California $207,708 Massachusetts $204,940 Washington $204,187 New Jersey $204,111 Alaska $203,848 Connecticut $201,249 New York $200,194

Hawaii $196,824 Rhode Island $195,242 Maryland $194,169 Minnesota $192,700 Colorado $192,135 Illinois $191,946 Oregon $191,231 Delaware $190,704

New Hampshire $190,372 Virginia $189,630 Pennsylvania $187,465 Nevada $186,372 North Dakota $186,015 Michigan $185,450 Wisconsin $185,243 Vermont $184,828

Texas $183,680 Maine $183,604 Arizona $183,491 Ohio $183,359 Georgia $181,627 Indiana $180,761 Wyoming $180,591 Utah $180,328

Iowa $180,215 Kansas $179,311 Louisiana $179,047 North Carolina $178,953 Missouri $178,915 Florida $178,181 Montana $177,785 Nebraska $177,409

Kentucky $177,202 South Carolina $176,448 Tennessee $175,978 Idaho $175,789 New Mexico $174,415 Oklahoma $174,113 Alabama $173,002 South Dakota $171,138

Arkansas $170,121 West Virginia $169,575 Mississippi $167,937

Top Paying Cities for Contracts Attorneys

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $237,518
San Francisco: $234,917
Oakland: $229,967

San Jose, CA $237,518

San Francisco, CA $234,917

Oakland, CA $229,967

New York, NY $216,821

Paramus, NJ $214,184

Queens Village, NY $214,175

Passaic, NJ $213,996

Bergenfield, NJ $213,979

Stamford, CT $213,565

Huntington, NY $213,487

Newark, NJ $212,096

Bridgeport, CT $211,698

Vallejo, CA $211,324

New Brunswick, NJ $211,248

Petaluma, CA $211,135

Middlesex, NJ $210,778

Somerset, NJ $210,646

Santa Cruz, CA $210,401

Boston, MA $209,252

Monterey, CA $208,591

Seattle, WA $208,160

Santa Rosa, CA $208,122

Los Angeles, CA $208,066

Juneau, AK $207,576

Washington, DC $207,369

Orange, CA $206,699

Santa Ana, CA $206,202

Long Beach, CA $206,013

Anaheim, CA $205,976

Anchorage, AK $205,882

Santa Maria, CA $205,317

Everett, WA $205,279

Danbury, CT $204,616

Bremerton, WA $204,356

Tacoma, WA $203,678

New Suffolk, NY $203,674

Sacramento, CA $203,622

Santa Barbara, CA $203,415

Trenton, NJ $203,207

San Diego, CA $203,207

Brockton, MA $203,000

Fairbanks, AK $202,539

Lompoc, CA $202,059

Lowell, MA $201,906

Ventura, CA $201,870

Nashua, NH $201,833

Stockton, CA $201,814

Modesto, CA $200,439

Poughkeepsie, NY $200,025

Olympia, WA $199,667

Kennewick, WA $199,667

New Haven, CT $199,592

Lawrence, MA $198,914

Hartford, CT $198,726

Riverside, CA $198,688

New Bedford, MA $198,500

Richland, WA $198,500

Bakersfield, CA $198,236

San Bernardino, CA $198,161

New Britain, CT $198,142

Atlantic City, NJ $198,142

New London, CT $198,067

Norwich, CT $198,010

Portsmouth, NH $197,972

Boulder, CO $197,573

Portland, OR $197,313

Worcester, MA $197,294

Minneapolis, MN $196,711

Philadelphia, PA $196,447

Honolulu, HI $195,826

Saint Paul, MN $195,735

Vineland, NJ $195,694

Providence, RI $195,148

Chicago, IL $194,602

Bellingham, WA $194,376

Springfield, MA $194,225

Baltimore, MD $194,169

Chico, CA $193,698

Pittsfield, MA $193,189

Manchester, NH $192,831

Spokane, WA $192,003

Denver, CO $191,984

Albany, NY $191,099

Troy, NY $191,024

Nassau, NY $190,822

Schenectady, NY $190,628

Wilmington, DE $190,478

Burlington, VT $190,214

Salem, OR $190,139

Portland, ME $189,555

Yakima, WA $189,367

Rochester, MN $188,783

Reno, NV $188,689

Fresno, CA $188,689

Milwaukee, WI $188,519

Detroit, MI $188,331

Ann Arbor, MI $188,299

Allentown, PA $188,274

Colorado Springs, CO $187,954

Syracuse, NY $187,860

Carson City, NV $187,860

Houston, TX $187,596

Eugene, OR $187,502

Gary, IN $187,276

Springfield, OR $187,126

Bismarck, ND $187,088

Galveston, TX $186,956

Medford, OR $186,674

Fort Collins, CO $186,598

Concord, NH $186,504

Austin, TX $186,448

Mesa, AZ $186,052

Reading, PA $186,033

Phoenix, AZ $186,015

Dallas, TX $185,958

Saint Cloud, MN $185,777

Madison, WI $185,525

Utica, NY $185,017

Rochester, NY $184,715

Des Moines, IA $184,696

Raleigh, NC $184,678

Atlanta, GA $184,395

Battle Creek, MI $184,339

Salt Lake City, UT $184,282

Lancaster, PA $184,000

Harrisburg, PA $183,736

Kansas City, MO $183,548

Champaign, IL $183,510

Kansas City, KS $183,510

Fort Worth, TX $183,491

Columbus, OH $183,459

Boca Raton, FL $183,416

Pittsburgh, PA $183,341

Richmond, VA $183,265

Indianapolis, IN $183,228

Cleveland, OH $183,209

Las Vegas, NV $182,983

Cincinnati, OH $182,983

Petersburg, VA $182,700

Huntsville, AL $182,418

Lansing, MI $182,292

Lebanon, PA $182,267

Pueblo, CO $182,248

Appleton, WI $182,192

Buffalo, NY $182,117

Dayton, OH $182,060

Racine, WI $182,022

Charlotte, NC $182,004

Saint Louis, MO $181,947

York, PA $181,834

Elkhart, IN $181,834

Gastonia, NC $181,798

Billings, MT $181,753

Beaumont, TX $181,702

Lorain, OH $181,665

Benton Harbor, MI $181,627

Toledo, OH $181,589

Binghamton, NY $181,495

Rock Hill, SC $181,476

Rockford, IL $181,382

Springfield, IL $181,307

Elyria, OH $181,288

Fargo, ND $181,288

Flagstaff, AZ $181,156

Fort Lauderdale, FL $181,043

Duluth, MN $180,930

Miami, FL $180,930

Cheyenne, WY $180,798

Grand Forks, ND $180,798

Bangor, ME $180,384

Cedar Rapids, IA $180,177

Durham, NC $180,098

Louisville, KY $180,083

Grand Rapids, MI $180,045

Hialeah, FL $180,026

Casper, WY $179,763

Scranton, PA $179,537

New Orleans, LA $179,480

Virginia Beach, VA $179,461

Akron, OH $179,367

Peoria, IL $179,122

Sarasota, FL $179,085

Nashville, TN $178,953

Omaha, NE $178,953

Green Bay, WI $178,953

Baton Rouge, LA $178,859

Charleston, SC $178,821

Jamestown, NY $178,727

Davenport, IA $178,727

Tucson, AZ $178,633

Saint Petersburg, FL $178,520

Tampa, FL $178,482

Evansville, IN $178,369

Port Arthur, TX $178,369

Bradenton, FL $178,294

Santa Fe, NM $177,955

Orlando, FL $177,616

Clearwater, FL $177,559

Canton, OH $177,164

La Crosse, WI $177,164

Albuquerque, NM $177,051

Newport News, VA $177,032

High Point, NC $176,976

Ogden, UT $176,900

Corpus Christi, TX $176,750

Norfolk, VA $176,637

Laramie, WY $176,637

Rock Island, IL $176,524

Saginaw, MI $176,486

Jacksonville, FL $176,467

Salisbury, NC $176,430

Boise, ID $176,392

Moline, IL $176,298

Fort Myers, FL $176,241

Memphis, TN $176,204

Tulsa, OK $176,109

Waterloo, IA $175,996

Spartanburg, SC $175,808

Lincoln, NE $175,714

Fort Wayne, IN $175,676

Provo, UT $175,657

Cedar Falls, IA $175,431

San Antonio, TX $175,356

Greensboro, NC $175,281

South Bend, IN $175,262

Savannah, GA $175,055

Muskegon, MI $174,980

Birmingham, AL $174,961

Winston Salem, NC $174,868

Lake Charles, LA $174,415

Anderson, IN $174,377

Lexington, KY $174,320

Augusta, GA $174,264

Greenville, SC $174,264

Lima, OH $174,113

Wichita, KS $174,094

Tuscaloosa, AL $174,094

Columbia, SC $173,925

Springfield, OH $173,887

Asheville, NC $173,586

Bloomington, IN $173,454

Knoxville, TN $172,776

Shreveport, LA $172,757

Wilmington, NC $172,513

Roanoke, VA $172,513

Topeka, KS $172,174

Frankfort, KY $172,153

Oklahoma City, OK $172,023

Chillicothe, OH $171,948

Longview, TX $171,929

Melbourne, FL $171,910

Sioux Falls, SD $171,609

Mobile, AL $171,590

Terre Haute, IN $171,515

Altoona, PA $171,402

Amarillo, TX $171,270

Killeen, TX $171,213

Fayetteville, AR $171,063

Chattanooga, TN $171,006

Sioux City, IA $170,837

Idaho Falls, ID $170,799

Lynchburg, VA $170,648

Gainesville, FL $170,404

Portsmouth, OH $170,309

Little Rock, AR $170,272

Lafayette, LA $170,196

Youngstown, OH $170,196

Daytona Beach, FL $170,083

Clarksville, TN $170,065

Pensacola, FL $170,046

Temple, TX $170,033

Hopkinsville, KY $169,481

Erie, PA $169,443

Florence, SC $169,368

Charleston, WV $169,067

Great Falls, MT $168,972

Macon, GA $168,709

Tallahassee, FL $168,690

Fayetteville, NC $168,652

Waco, TX $168,615

Helena, MT $168,483

Pine Bluff, AR $168,411

Vincennes, IN $168,181

Lubbock, TX $168,106

Alamogordo, NM $167,993

Twin Falls, ID $167,824

Rapid City, SD $167,767

Jackson, MS $167,428

Huntington, WV $167,415

Greenville, MS $167,409

Parkersburg, WV $167,217

Montgomery, AL $167,183

Wichita Falls, TX $166,995

Springfield, MO $166,995

Biloxi, MS $166,901

Monroe, LA $166,713

Johnstown, PA $166,581

Sumter, SC $166,505

Columbus, GA $166,487

Pascagoula, MS $166,129

Abilene, TX $166,129

Kingsport, TN $165,639

Albany, GA $165,639

Gulfport, MS $165,583

Alexandria, LA $164,961

Fort Smith, AR $164,491

El Paso, TX $163,982

Las Cruces, NM $163,135

Harlingen, TX $162,656

Pocatello, ID $162,626

Florence, AL $162,381

Brownsville, TX $162,344

Mcallen, TX $161,948

Dothan, AL $161,685

Columbus, MS $160,566

Altus, OK $159,689

Lawton, OK $159,331

Pierre, SD $158,653

What Skills Can Increase a Contracts Attorney's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Case Management (Mentioned in 1.95% Job Postings): Connecting patients with suitable healthcare providers, resources, and services to ensure they receive optimal, cost-effective care.
Employment Law (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Applying the knowledge of employment law to regulate relationships between employers and employees.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.95%
Case Management	1.95%
Employment Law	1.56%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Contracts Attorney's salary.

Open Source: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Open Source	$216,559	15%
Intellectual Property	$199,611	6%
Innovation	$197,728	5%
Employment Law	$197,728	5%
Hard Working	$195,844	4%
Collaboration	$195,844	4%

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How Education impacts a Contracts Attorney's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Contracts Attorneys enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Contracts Attorney with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $166,120 and $178,270).

Contracts Attorney Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Contracts Attorney

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 0.3%

Associates 0.3%

Bachelors 0.7%

Masters 3.1%

Doctorate 95.6%

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Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	0.3%
Associates	0.3%
Bachelors	0.7%
Masters	3.1%
Doctorate	95.6%

view as graph

Contracts Attorney Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Contracts Attorney's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on June 01, 2026

$172,799

Average $188,312/year

$207,383

$14,400

Average $15,693/month

$17,282

$3,323

Average $3,621/week

$3,988

$83

Average $91/hour

$100

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$207,383	$17,282	$3,988	$100
Average	$188,312	$15,693	$3,621	$91
25th Percentile	$172,799	$14,400	$3,323	$83

Salaries of jobs related to Contracts Attorney

Salary Trends for Contracts Attorney

Salaries for a Contracts Attorney can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $173,575 in 2023 to around $158,231 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Contracts Attorney salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Contracts Attorney Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$173,575

2024

$167,146

2025

$158,231

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$173,575
2024	$167,146
2025	$158,231
2026	View More
2027	View More

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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