ABA Releases Data on Lawyers (Spoiler: Silicon Valley Lawyers Paid #1 in Nation)

The American Bar Association just released its 2019 profile of the legal profession. Some interesting stats:

• Compensation. The average national salary for lawyers is $144,230. The highest average for a region belongs to San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, the heart of Silicon Valley, at $207,950. The second highest metro region is San Francisco/Oakland at $183,070. Southern California regions include LA/Long Beach/Anaheim at #4 ($176,020), and Oxnard/Thousand Oaks/Ventura at #6 ($172,900).
• Compensation for Women. Women are paid less than men at firms across the board. The median pay for female associates is $182,904, but $190,614 for male associates. And women who are equity partners make 27% less than their male counterparts!
• Diversity (Firms). In addition to pay, California firms lead the nation in diversity. Five California regions make the top 10 in highest percentage of minorities at firms: San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Orange County.