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Attorney Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Attorneys expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Attorneys in a startup is 172k per year, with a range from 65k to 265k. The salary range for Attorneys varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
172.0k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience

Salary
The average Attorney salary is $172,000, which is 52.4% higher than the average startup salary of $112,833. Attorney salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$246,917/yr
Range $202k - $265k
Average
$172,000/yr
Range $130k - $240k
Below Average
$117,583/yr
Range $65k - $162k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Attorney can get in San Francisco Bay Area, that is $215,000. This pay is 25.0% higher than the average Attorney salary in startups, which is $172,000. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: San Francisco Bay Area (avg $215,000 per year), Minneapolis (avg $180,000 per year), Austin (avg $145,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Minneapolis
$180k
Austin
$145k
Vancouver
$140k
Chicago
$137k
Denver
$137k
San Diego
View SalariesSeattle
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View SalariesLos Angeles
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Attorney can get in Governments, that is $303,500. This pay is 5.1% higher than the average Attorney salary, which is $288,700. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Governments (avg $303,500 per year), Accounting (avg $300,000 per year), Administrative (avg $300,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Attorney can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $170,000. This pay is 1.2% lower than the average Attorney salary, which is $172,000. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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