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

A Criminal Attorney's salary grows with experience: an Criminal Attorney (0-2 years)earns $98,281, an Attorney II (2-4 years)earns $130,462, an Attorney III (4-7 years)earns $184,238, an Attorney IV (7+ years)earns $209,765, an Attorney V (7-10 years)earns $248,908,

What are the highest paying states for a Criminal Attorney?

Criminal Attorney salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Criminal Attorney roles are District of Columbia $109,617, California $109,201, Massachusetts $107,745. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Criminal Attorney roles make?

Salaries for Criminal Attorney level roles vary by specialization: Attorney VI: $293,167; Attorney V: $253,419; Attorney IV: $213,566; Attorney III: $187,577; Attorney II: $132,826.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Criminal 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.

Criminal Attorney Salary in the United States

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Criminal Attorney in the United States is $99,003 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $117,775
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $87,577 to $108,829
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $77,173

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Criminal Attorney Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$108,829	$9,069	$2,093	$52
Average	$99,003	$8,250	$1,904	$48
25th Percentile	$87,577	$7,298	$1,684	$42

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Key Factors That Influence Criminal Attorney Salaries

A Criminal 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 Criminal Attorney Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Criminal 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): $98,281
Early Career (1-2 years): $130,462
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $184,238
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $209,765
Expert (over 8 years): $248,908

Levels	Salary
Criminal ... Level Criminal Attorney	$98,281
Attorney ... Level Criminal Attorney	$130,462
Attorney ... Level Criminal Attorney	$184,238
Attorney ... Level Criminal Attorney	$209,765
Attorney ... Level Criminal Attorney	$248,908

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Criminal 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 Criminal Attorneys. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $109,617.
California: $109,201.
Massachusetts: $107,745.

District of Columbia $109,617 California $109,201 Massachusetts $107,745 Washington $107,349 New Jersey $107,310 Alaska $107,171 Connecticut $105,805 New York $105,251

Hawaii $103,478 Rhode Island $102,647 Maryland $102,082 Minnesota $101,310 Colorado $101,013 Illinois $100,914 Oregon $100,538 Delaware $100,261

New Hampshire $100,086 Virginia $99,696 Pennsylvania $98,558 Nevada $97,984 North Dakota $97,796 Michigan $97,499 Wisconsin $97,390 Vermont $97,172

Texas $96,568 Maine $96,528 Arizona $96,469 Ohio $96,400 Georgia $95,489 Indiana $95,033 Wyoming $94,944 Utah $94,806

Iowa $94,746 Kansas $94,271 Louisiana $94,132 North Carolina $94,083 Missouri $94,063 Florida $93,677 Montana $93,469 Nebraska $93,271

Kentucky $93,162 South Carolina $92,766 Tennessee $92,519 Idaho $92,420 New Mexico $91,697 Oklahoma $91,539 Alabama $90,954 South Dakota $89,974

Arkansas $89,440 West Virginia $89,153 Mississippi $88,291

Top Paying Cities for Criminal 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: $124,873
San Francisco: $123,506
Oakland: $120,903

San Jose, CA $124,873

San Francisco, CA $123,506

Oakland, CA $120,903

New York, NY $113,992

Paramus, NJ $112,605

Queens Village, NY $112,601

Passaic, NJ $112,506

Bergenfield, NJ $112,498

Stamford, CT $112,280

Huntington, NY $112,239

Newark, NJ $111,508

Bridgeport, CT $111,299

Vallejo, CA $111,102

New Brunswick, NJ $111,062

Petaluma, CA $111,003

Middlesex, NJ $110,815

Somerset, NJ $110,745

Santa Cruz, CA $110,616

Boston, MA $110,013

Monterey, CA $109,665

Seattle, WA $109,438

Santa Rosa, CA $109,419

Los Angeles, CA $109,389

Juneau, AK $109,131

Washington, DC $109,023

Orange, CA $108,670

Santa Ana, CA $108,409

Long Beach, CA $108,310

Anaheim, CA $108,290

Anchorage, AK $108,240

Santa Maria, CA $107,943

Everett, WA $107,924

Danbury, CT $107,575

Bremerton, WA $107,438

Tacoma, WA $107,082

New Suffolk, NY $107,080

Sacramento, CA $107,052

Santa Barbara, CA $106,943

Trenton, NJ $106,835

San Diego, CA $106,835

Brockton, MA $106,726

Fairbanks, AK $106,483

Lompoc, CA $106,231

Lowell, MA $106,150

Ventura, CA $106,132

Nashua, NH $106,112

Stockton, CA $106,102

Modesto, CA $105,379

Poughkeepsie, NY $105,161

Olympia, WA $104,973

Kennewick, WA $104,973

New Haven, CT $104,934

Lawrence, MA $104,577

Hartford, CT $104,478

Riverside, CA $104,458

New Bedford, MA $104,359

Richland, WA $104,359

Bakersfield, CA $104,221

San Bernardino, CA $104,181

New Britain, CT $104,171

Atlantic City, NJ $104,171

New London, CT $104,132

Norwich, CT $104,102

Portsmouth, NH $104,082

Boulder, CO $103,872

Portland, OR $103,736

Worcester, MA $103,726

Minneapolis, MN $103,419

Philadelphia, PA $103,280

Honolulu, HI $102,954

Saint Paul, MN $102,906

Vineland, NJ $102,884

Providence, RI $102,597

Chicago, IL $102,310

Bellingham, WA $102,191

Springfield, MA $102,112

Baltimore, MD $102,082

Chico, CA $101,835

Pittsfield, MA $101,568

Manchester, NH $101,379

Spokane, WA $100,944

Denver, CO $100,934

Albany, NY $100,469

Troy, NY $100,429

Nassau, NY $100,323

Schenectady, NY $100,221

Wilmington, DE $100,142

Burlington, VT $100,003

Salem, OR $99,964

Portland, ME $99,657

Yakima, WA $99,558

Rochester, MN $99,251

Reno, NV $99,201

Fresno, CA $99,201

Milwaukee, WI $99,112

Detroit, MI $99,013

Ann Arbor, MI $98,996

Allentown, PA $98,984

Colorado Springs, CO $98,815

Syracuse, NY $98,766

Carson City, NV $98,766

Houston, TX $98,627

Eugene, OR $98,578

Gary, IN $98,459

Springfield, OR $98,380

Bismarck, ND $98,360

Galveston, TX $98,291

Medford, OR $98,142

Fort Collins, CO $98,102

Concord, NH $98,053

Austin, TX $98,023

Mesa, AZ $97,815

Reading, PA $97,805

Phoenix, AZ $97,796

Dallas, TX $97,766

Saint Cloud, MN $97,671

Madison, WI $97,538

Utica, NY $97,271

Rochester, NY $97,112

Des Moines, IA $97,103

Raleigh, NC $97,093

Atlanta, GA $96,944

Battle Creek, MI $96,914

Salt Lake City, UT $96,885

Lancaster, PA $96,736

Harrisburg, PA $96,598

Kansas City, MO $96,499

Champaign, IL $96,479

Kansas City, KS $96,479

Fort Worth, TX $96,469

Columbus, OH $96,452

Boca Raton, FL $96,429

Pittsburgh, PA $96,390

Richmond, VA $96,350

Indianapolis, IN $96,330

Cleveland, OH $96,320

Las Vegas, NV $96,202

Cincinnati, OH $96,202

Petersburg, VA $96,053

Huntsville, AL $95,905

Lansing, MI $95,838

Lebanon, PA $95,825

Pueblo, CO $95,815

Appleton, WI $95,786

Buffalo, NY $95,746

Dayton, OH $95,716

Racine, WI $95,697

Charlotte, NC $95,687

Saint Louis, MO $95,657

York, PA $95,598

Elkhart, IN $95,598

Gastonia, NC $95,579

Billings, MT $95,555

Beaumont, TX $95,528

Lorain, OH $95,509

Benton Harbor, MI $95,489

Toledo, OH $95,469

Binghamton, NY $95,419

Rock Hill, SC $95,410

Rockford, IL $95,360

Springfield, IL $95,320

Elyria, OH $95,311

Fargo, ND $95,311

Flagstaff, AZ $95,241

Fort Lauderdale, FL $95,182

Duluth, MN $95,122

Miami, FL $95,122

Cheyenne, WY $95,053

Grand Forks, ND $95,053

Bangor, ME $94,835

Cedar Rapids, IA $94,726

Durham, NC $94,685

Louisville, KY $94,677

Grand Rapids, MI $94,657

Hialeah, FL $94,647

Casper, WY $94,509

Scranton, PA $94,390

New Orleans, LA $94,360

Virginia Beach, VA $94,350

Akron, OH $94,301

Peoria, IL $94,172

Sarasota, FL $94,152

Nashville, TN $94,083

Omaha, NE $94,083

Green Bay, WI $94,083

Baton Rouge, LA $94,033

Charleston, SC $94,014

Jamestown, NY $93,964

Davenport, IA $93,964

Tucson, AZ $93,915

Saint Petersburg, FL $93,855

Tampa, FL $93,835

Evansville, IN $93,776

Port Arthur, TX $93,776

Bradenton, FL $93,736

Santa Fe, NM $93,558

Orlando, FL $93,380

Clearwater, FL $93,350

Canton, OH $93,142

La Crosse, WI $93,142

Albuquerque, NM $93,083

Newport News, VA $93,073

High Point, NC $93,043

Ogden, UT $93,004

Corpus Christi, TX $92,925

Norfolk, VA $92,865

Laramie, WY $92,865

Rock Island, IL $92,806

Saginaw, MI $92,786

Jacksonville, FL $92,776

Salisbury, NC $92,756

Boise, ID $92,736

Moline, IL $92,687

Fort Myers, FL $92,657

Memphis, TN $92,637

Tulsa, OK $92,588

Waterloo, IA $92,529

Spartanburg, SC $92,430

Lincoln, NE $92,380

Fort Wayne, IN $92,360

Provo, UT $92,350

Cedar Falls, IA $92,232

San Antonio, TX $92,192

Greensboro, NC $92,152

South Bend, IN $92,142

Savannah, GA $92,034

Muskegon, MI $91,994

Birmingham, AL $91,984

Winston Salem, NC $91,936

Lake Charles, LA $91,697

Anderson, IN $91,677

Lexington, KY $91,647

Augusta, GA $91,618

Greenville, SC $91,618

Lima, OH $91,539

Wichita, KS $91,529

Tuscaloosa, AL $91,529

Columbia, SC $91,440

Springfield, OH $91,420

Asheville, NC $91,261

Bloomington, IN $91,192

Knoxville, TN $90,836

Shreveport, LA $90,826

Wilmington, NC $90,697

Roanoke, VA $90,697

Topeka, KS $90,519

Frankfort, KY $90,508

Oklahoma City, OK $90,440

Chillicothe, OH $90,400

Longview, TX $90,390

Melbourne, FL $90,380

Sioux Falls, SD $90,222

Mobile, AL $90,212

Terre Haute, IN $90,172

Altoona, PA $90,113

Amarillo, TX $90,044

Killeen, TX $90,014

Fayetteville, AR $89,935

Chattanooga, TN $89,905

Sioux City, IA $89,816

Idaho Falls, ID $89,796

Lynchburg, VA $89,717

Gainesville, FL $89,588

Portsmouth, OH $89,539

Little Rock, AR $89,519

Lafayette, LA $89,479

Youngstown, OH $89,479

Daytona Beach, FL $89,420

Clarksville, TN $89,410

Pensacola, FL $89,400

Temple, TX $89,393

Hopkinsville, KY $89,103

Erie, PA $89,083

Florence, SC $89,044

Charleston, WV $88,885

Great Falls, MT $88,836

Macon, GA $88,697

Tallahassee, FL $88,687

Fayetteville, NC $88,667

Waco, TX $88,648

Helena, MT $88,578

Pine Bluff, AR $88,541

Vincennes, IN $88,420

Lubbock, TX $88,380

Alamogordo, NM $88,321

Twin Falls, ID $88,232

Rapid City, SD $88,202

Jackson, MS $88,024

Huntington, WV $88,017

Greenville, MS $88,014

Parkersburg, WV $87,913

Montgomery, AL $87,895

Wichita Falls, TX $87,796

Springfield, MO $87,796

Biloxi, MS $87,747

Monroe, LA $87,648

Johnstown, PA $87,578

Sumter, SC $87,539

Columbus, GA $87,529

Pascagoula, MS $87,341

Abilene, TX $87,341

Kingsport, TN $87,083

Albany, GA $87,083

Gulfport, MS $87,054

Alexandria, LA $86,727

Fort Smith, AR $86,479

El Paso, TX $86,212

Las Cruces, NM $85,767

Harlingen, TX $85,515

Pocatello, ID $85,499

Florence, AL $85,371

Brownsville, TX $85,351

Mcallen, TX $85,143

Dothan, AL $85,004

Columbus, MS $84,416

Altus, OK $83,955

Lawton, OK $83,767

Pierre, SD $83,410

What Skills Can Increase a Criminal Attorney's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.65% 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.
Estate Planning (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging, during a person's life, for the management and disposal of that person's estate during the person's life and at and after death, while minimizing gift, estate, generation skipping transfer, and income tax. Estate planning includes planning for incapacity as well as a process of reducing or eliminating uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximizing the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses. The ultimate goal of estate planning can be determined by the specific goals of the client, and may be as simple or complex as the client's needs dictate. Guardians are often designated for minor children and beneficiaries in incapacity. The law of estate planning overlaps to some degree with elder law, which additionally includes other provisions such as long-term care.
Employment Law (Mentioned in 1.49% Job Postings): Applying the knowledge of employment law to regulate relationships between employers and employees.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.65%
Estate Planning	2.37%
Employment Law	1.49%

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 Criminal Attorney's salary.

Legal Advice: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Due Diligence: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Legal Advice	$103,954	5%
Intellectual Property	$102,964	4%
Due Diligence	$101,974	3%
Negotiating	$101,974	3%
Analysis	$101,974	3%
Employment Law	$101,974	3%

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How Education impacts a Criminal Attorney's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Criminal 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 Criminal Attorney with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $101,138 and $109,909).

Criminal Attorney Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Criminal Attorney

No Diploma 0.2%

High School 0.4%

Associates 0.1%

Bachelors 1.8%

Masters 2.9%

Doctorate 94.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.2%
High School	0.4%
Associates	0.1%
Bachelors	1.8%
Masters	2.9%
Doctorate	94.6%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Criminal 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 May 01, 2026

$87,577

Average $99,003/year

$108,829

$7,298

Average $8,250/month

$9,069

$1,684

Average $1,904/week

$2,093

$42

Average $48/hour

$52

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$108,829	$9,069	$2,093	$52
Average	$99,003	$8,250	$1,904	$48
25th Percentile	$87,577	$7,298	$1,684	$42

Salaries of jobs related to Criminal Attorney

Salary Trends for Criminal Attorney

Salaries for a Criminal Attorney can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $111,156 in 2023 to around $107,257 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Criminal Attorney salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Criminal Attorney Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$111,156

2024

$110,730

2025

$107,257

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$111,156
2024	$110,730
2025	$107,257
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Criminal Attorney

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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