Legal · New York City
New York pays its lawyers about 31% above the U.S. median, and a NextGen score earned elsewhere before July 2028 will not get a new associate admitted here. Careerscape runs New York legal searches remotely, with national recruiters who are organized by industry rather than by city.
Key figures
All figures are BLS May 2025 estimates for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, across all industries.
More than twice the U.S. concentration (location quotient 2.05) and the largest lawyer count among our legal markets. Washington, DC is next with 46,840.
About 31% above the U.S. median of $159,670. The middle half earns $131,240 to $324,310, so the band you need depends heavily on the segment you compete with.
About 37% above the U.S. median of $55,570, with the 25th percentile at $60,010. The role is only at the U.S. concentration here (1.00), so supply does not make it cheap.
33,850 paralegals and legal assistants against 94,610 lawyers, below the national ratio of about 0.47. Paralegal pay has a median of $75,330, about 20% above the U.S.
The metro has 23,380 compliance officers, but the role is slightly less concentrated than in the U.S. The median is $101,050, about 25% above the U.S. median.
Full table
Lawyers and paralegals are the deep pools. Compliance officers, title examiners and other legal support workers are all less concentrated than in the U.S., despite the metro's size.
| Occupation | Jobs in metro | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 94,610 | $208,880+31% | 2.05 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | 33,850 | $75,330+20% | 1.41 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 9,580 | $75,920+37% | 1.00 |
| Compliance Officers | 23,380 | $101,050+25% | 0.92 |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | 1,830 | $61,500+5% | 0.62 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | 1,560 | $83,140+15% | 0.55 |
Title examiners (1,830 jobs, location quotient 0.62) and other legal support workers (1,560 jobs, 0.55) are the thinnest pools. Every row pays above the U.S. median. The metro spans New York and northern New Jersey, so admission requirements depend on where the lawyer practices. Jobs and median annual pay for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, all employers, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025). “Vs. U.S.” compares with the national median. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job makes up a bigger share of local employment than it does nationally.
Bar admission
New York and New Jersey both plan to replace the Uniform Bar Examination with the NextGen exam starting in July 2028. Until then, both keep the UBE, and New York continues to accept UBE score transfers under its current policies.
The catch is for candidates who sat NextGen early. Ten jurisdictions, including nearby Connecticut and Maryland, gave the first NextGen exam in July 2026. The New York State Board of Law Examiners has said New York will not accept NextGen transfer scores from any exam given before July 2028. A 2026 or 2027 graduate admitted through NextGen in another state cannot use that score to get into New York, and New Jersey's transfer policy has not been announced.
For employers, the practical rule is simple: for associate classes starting between 2026 and 2028, ask which exam each candidate sat, and where, before you build the start date around admission. Candidates who need New York admission should be sitting the UBE in a state that still gives it, or in New York itself.
For the rest of the city's hiring rules, including pay-range postings, the salary-history ban, the Fair Chance Act and the AI hiring audit law, see our New York City hiring guide.
Searches
Firm, in-house and compliance searches, permanent or contract.
Before you post
What the data above suggests for a search in this metro.
With lawyer pay running from $131,240 at the 25th percentile to $324,310 at the 75th, a band copied from a national survey or from a different type of employer will be wrong in one direction or the other.
The 25th percentile for New York legal secretaries, $60,010, is already above the U.S. median of $55,570. The same holds for paralegals: the local 25th percentile, $61,040, is close to the U.S. median.
A 0.92 location quotient means the compliance pool is smaller than the metro's size suggests. Consider candidates from adjacent regulatory, audit and risk roles, and be specific about the regulations the role covers.
New York will not accept NextGen scores from exams given before July 2028. Confirm each candidate's exam and jurisdiction before you commit to an admission date.
Discovery, diligence and closing work comes in waves. Contract attorneys and temporary paralegals cover the peak without adding permanent headcount.
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FAQ
Not yet. The New York State Board of Law Examiners has said New York will accept NextGen transfer scores only from exams given in July 2028 or later, when New York itself switches to NextGen. Until then it continues to accept Uniform Bar Examination score transfers under its existing policies. A NextGen score from 2026 or 2027 does not qualify a candidate for New York admission.
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $208,880 for lawyers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, about 31% above the U.S. median of $159,670. The middle half earns $131,240 to $324,310 and the 90th percentile is $391,620. These are all-industry figures. Our corporate counsel salary guide has role benchmarks.
BLS puts the metro median at $75,920, about 37% above the U.S. median of $55,570, and even the 25th percentile is above the national median. The role is only at the U.S. concentration here (location quotient 1.00), so employers are not drawing on a surplus of candidates. See our legal secretary salary guide.
Yes. Our executive search service covers general counsel, deputy GC and chief compliance officer roles, and searches are handled confidentially. Candidates who are currently employed are approached discreetly. You review a pre-screened shortlist in a private Employer Portal. Our legal staffing services page explains the full range.
Yes. Our contract staffing covers project attorneys, document review and paralegals for trials and transactions, and temporary staffing covers short absences. Contract-to-hire lets you keep someone who proves a fit. Careerscape's legal recruiters work remotely and recruit for employers across the five boroughs and northern New Jersey.
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