Average Criminal Lawyer Salary: What Criminal Lawyers Actually Make
The average criminal lawyer in the United States earns roughly $95,000 to $110,000 per year, below the $151,160 median for lawyers overall. The gap exists because criminal law is split between lower-paid public roles and higher-paid private practice: public defenders and prosecutors typically start near $60,000 to $70,000, private criminal defense attorneys average around $90,000 to $110,000, and elite white-collar defense partners can earn $300,000 or more. Whether you work public-sector or private matters more for your pay than years of experience.
What is the average criminal lawyer salary?
The average criminal lawyer salary is about $95,000 to $110,000 a year, depending on the source (Payscale reports roughly $93,000, Salary.com about $110,000). That sits below the $151,160 median the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for lawyers across all specialties.
Criminal law is one of the lower-paying legal fields, and the single biggest reason is its makeup. A large share of criminal lawyers work as public defenders or prosecutors on government pay scales, which pulls the average down well below corporate or intellectual property practice.
So the headline number is less useful than the breakdown. What you earn in criminal law depends first on your sector, then on your experience and location.
Criminal lawyer salary by experience
In private practice, pay rises steadily with experience, with the steepest jump reserved for those who build a reputation or move into white-collar defense.
| Experience level | Typical salary (private practice) |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (0-3 years) | $55,000 – $80,000 |
| Mid-career (4-9 years) | $85,000 – $120,000 |
| Senior (10+ years) | $120,000 – $160,000 |
| Top earners / white-collar partners | $200,000 – $500,000+ |
The top of that range is a different job from the bottom. Entry-level work is often high-volume, lower-stakes cases; the highest earners handle complex white-collar or federal matters, which the legal-recruiting data shows command a 20% to 30% premium over general litigation.
Public defender vs prosecutor vs private defense salary
This is the split that defines criminal-law pay. Government roles pay less but offer stability and loan-forgiveness eligibility; private practice pays more but with more income risk.
| Role | Typical pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Public defender (entry-level) | ~$69,600 median | NALP 2023 |
| Prosecutor / assistant DA (entry-level) | ~$60,000 – $72,000 | NALP / agency scales |
| Private criminal defense (average) | ~$93,000 | Payscale |
| Federal criminal defense | ~$92,500 | ZipRecruiter |
| White-collar defense partner | $300,000+ | Legal recruiting data |
Public defenders and prosecutors start within a few thousand dollars of each other, both near $60,000 to $70,000, and both rise modestly with experience. The real divergence is between the public sector and private practice, where a successful defense attorney can earn several times a public servant’s salary.
One offset for public-sector pay: government and qualifying nonprofit roles can make criminal lawyers eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which materially changes the real value of a lower salary when weighed against law school debt. If you are weighing this path, see our guide to law school cost.
What affects a criminal lawyer’s salary?
Sector comes first, as the tables above show. After that, four factors move the number most.
Location matters because pay tracks cost of living and local legal markets. The highest-paying states for lawyers overall (California, New York, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts, per BLS) also pay criminal lawyers more, while rural and lower-cost areas pay less, though the cost-of-living offset narrows the real gap.
Specialization is the second lever. White-collar criminal defense, federal practice, and complex appellate work pay well above routine state-court defense. Building a niche is the most reliable way to move up the private-practice range.
Finally, practice structure decides a lot in private work. Solo practitioners and small-firm defense lawyers often bill $150 to $700 an hour, so their income depends heavily on caseload and collections, which makes their earnings far more variable than a salaried government attorney’s.
How does criminal law pay compare to other legal fields?
Criminal law sits toward the lower end of the legal pay scale. The legal profession follows a bimodal distribution, where salaries cluster at two peaks: a lower band around $60,000 to $100,000 for public-sector and small-firm lawyers, and a higher band of $200,000 or more for large-firm associates.
Most criminal lawyers fall in the lower band, while corporate, intellectual property, and securities lawyers populate the higher one. For a fuller picture of the field and where it leads, see our overview of criminal law and what a criminal lawyer does day to day, plus the related path of becoming a prosecutor in our guide to how much a district attorney makes.
Is a criminal law career worth it?
Financially, criminal law rewards either patience in private practice or a values-driven acceptance of public-sector pay. If maximizing income is the goal, corporate or IP law is the stronger bet; if courtroom work and public service are the draw, criminal law delivers experience and purpose that higher-paying fields rarely match.
The practical advice is to weigh starting salary against law school debt and loan-forgiveness eligibility before choosing a track. A $65,000 public defender role with PSLF can outperform a higher nominal salary once debt is factored in. If you are still deciding, our guides to becoming a lawyer and the Juris Doctor degree map the steps, and studying criminal law covers the academic side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average criminal lawyer salary?
The average criminal lawyer earns about $95,000 to $110,000 a year, below the $151,160 median for lawyers overall (BLS, May 2024). Pay varies widely by sector, from roughly $60,000 to $70,000 for public defenders and prosecutors to $300,000 or more for white-collar defense partners.
How much do public defenders make?
Entry-level public defenders earn a median of about $69,600 (NALP 2023), with modest increases over a career. Prosecutors start in a similar range, roughly $60,000 to $72,000.
Do criminal lawyers make less than other lawyers?
Generally, yes. Criminal law is one of the lower-paying legal fields because so many practitioners work in public-sector roles. Corporate, intellectual property, and securities lawyers typically earn more.
What is the highest criminal lawyer salary?
Top white-collar criminal defense partners at large firms can earn $300,000 or more, since white-collar and federal defense command a 20% to 30% premium over general litigation. These are the exception rather than the norm.
How much do criminal lawyers make starting out?
Entry-level criminal lawyers typically earn $55,000 to $80,000 in private practice, and about $60,000 to $70,000 as public defenders or prosecutors. Location and sector drive most of the difference.
Which pays more, public defender or prosecutor?
They pay very similarly at entry level, both near $60,000 to $70,000. Differences come down to the specific jurisdiction and its government pay scale rather than the role itself.
Sources: All-lawyer median wage of $151,160 (May 2024) and the ~5% projected job growth from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (Lawyers). Public-sector figures (entry-level public defender median ~$69,600) from the NALP 2023 Public Service Attorney Salary Survey. Private criminal defense average (~$93,000) and by-experience ranges from Payscale, with cross-checks from Salary.com (~$110,000 median) and ZipRecruiter (federal criminal defense ~$92,500). White-collar defense premium (20-30% above general litigation) from legal-recruiting compensation data. Figures are estimates that vary by source, sector, experience, and location. Reviewed by Lexinter Law Directory. Report a correction.
