How much does a Criminal Defense Lawyer make in Charlotte, NC?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charlotte, NC is $102,682. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $88,461 to $119,003, with most professionals earning between $75,514 and $133,863.

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Salary range for an Criminal Defense Lawyer
$88,461 to $119,003
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What is a Criminal Defense Lawyer?

A Criminal Defense Lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts for appointment to represent indigent persons; the latter are generally called public defenders. The terminology is imprecise because each jurisdiction may have different practices with various levels of input from state and federal law or consent decrees. Some jurisdictions use a rotating system of appointments, with ju...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

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Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
88461
119003
102682

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
91309
127436
107493
What is the average salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer in 2025?
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charlotte, NC. The base salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer ranges from $88,461 to $119,003 with the average base salary of $102,682. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $91,309 to $127,436 with the average total cash compensation of $107,493.
Average Salary Average Salary Range
Base Salary $102,682 $88,461 - $119,003
Bonus $4,811 $2,848 - $8,433
Total Pay $107,493 $91,309 - $127,436
* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.
* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.
CITY, STATE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Concord, NC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $87,434 - $117,622 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Kannapolis, NC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $86,334 - $116,141 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Gastonia, NC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $89,455 - $120,341 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Rock Hill, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $89,765 - $120,758 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Salisbury, NC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $86,546 - $116,427 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
CITY, STATE Hickory, NC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $88,483 - $119,033 COMPARE TO Charlotte, NC
See salaries for Criminal Defense Lawyer in locations close to Charlotte, NC. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.
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JOB TITLE LOCATION MINIMUM SALARY MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Criminal Lawyer LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $88,461 MAXIMUM SALARY $119,003
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Investigator LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $59,441 MAXIMUM SALARY $87,457
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Attorney LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $82,912 MAXIMUM SALARY $113,243
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Paralegal LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $79,423 MAXIMUM SALARY $98,153
JOB TITLE Criminal Investigator LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $57,658 MAXIMUM SALARY $84,833
JOB TITLE Defense Attorney LOCATION Charlotte, NC MINIMUM SALARY $88,461 MAXIMUM SALARY $119,003
The Criminal Defense Lawyer job could be listed using titles that are not exactly the same, but actually are for the same or very similar job. Here are some job titles in Charlotte, NC that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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88461
119003

 

About Charlotte, North Carolina    Charlotte (/ˈʃɑːrlət/) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg Co....More

Charlotte, North Carolina  area prices were up 1.5% from a year ago

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in popular cities: RaleighGreensboroWinston Salem

Jobs with a similar salary range to Criminal Defense Lawyer : Criminal Defense Attorney, Closing Attorney, Junior Legal Counsel