5411/Legal Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.19M
employees, 2023
1.19M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 181,092 US Legal Services business locations employed 1.19 million people and paid $144.0 billion in annual payroll, $120,985 per employee on average. Employment was up 0.6% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
181,092
-0.5% vs 2022
Employees
1,190,297
+0.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$144.0B
+4.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$120,985
+3.7% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Legal Services in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 24,177 | 157,775 | $135,529 | 0.96% |
| New York | 12,612 | 120,764 | $159,552 | 1.38% |
| Florida | 19,257 | 106,351 | $113,563 | 1.06% |
| Texas | 15,206 | 98,453 | $120,771 | 0.82% |
| Illinois | 7,405 | 55,015 | $143,896 | 0.97% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,829 | 47,444 | $118,659 | 0.83% |
| Georgia | 6,381 | 37,716 | $109,375 | 0.86% |
| New Jersey | 5,189 | 35,247 | $112,475 | 0.89% |
| District of Columbia | 1,270 | 31,599 | $231,941 | 5.66% |
| Ohio | 4,555 | 30,698 | $89,900 | 0.60% |
| Massachusetts | 4,062 | 29,089 | $148,771 | 0.83% |
| Michigan | 4,135 | 28,168 | $101,331 | 0.70% |
| Virginia | 4,090 | 26,965 | $107,096 | 0.75% |
| North Carolina | 4,178 | 26,367 | $97,826 | 0.62% |
| Washington | 3,718 | 22,941 | $124,827 | 0.75% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Legal Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 13,638 | 128,425 | $162,808 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,913 | 79,546 | $135,013 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,098 | 49,567 | $188,779 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 6,226 | 48,441 | $151,764 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 9,404 | 46,517 | $123,398 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,593 | 37,256 | $135,881 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,399 | 31,887 | $136,898 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 4,397 | 29,938 | $117,868 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 4,116 | 29,146 | $136,724 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,152 | 27,137 | $171,538 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,091 | 25,267 | $159,531 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,306 | 18,715 | $109,006 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,662 | 18,140 | $106,799 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,260 | 16,183 | $141,611 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,659 | 16,019 | $125,747 |
Business size
US Legal Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 129,665 | 71.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 27,636 | 15.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 13,420 | 7.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 7,181 | 4.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,977 | 1.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 933 | 0.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 210 | 0.1% |
| 500 to 999 | 52 | 0.0% |
| 1,000 or more | 18 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Legal Services and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54111 | Offices of Lawyers | 1,093,331 | $125,580 |
| 54119 | Other Legal Services | 96,966 | $69,174 |
| 54112 | Offices of Notaries | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Legal Services in the US?
1.19 million people worked at 181,092 US Legal Services business locations in 2023, up 0.6% from 2022. That is 0.85% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Legal Services?
$120,985 a year per employee in 2023, from $144.0 billion in annual payroll (up 3.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Legal Services jobs?
California had the most, with 157,775 employees in 2023, followed by New York (120,764) and Florida (106,351).
Which metro areas have the most Legal Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (128,425), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (79,546), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (49,567) had the most Legal Services employees in 2023.
Are most Legal Services businesses small?
94.3% of the 181,092 Legal Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 70 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.