Together, these worker bee lawyers make between $45,000 and $65,000 per year. Legal compensation is highly dependent upon cost-of-living factors and may vary considerably between regions.In general, lawyers who live in larger, more expensive cities tend to earn more than their rural or small-town counterparts.ikewise, lawyers who work for state or municipal governments tend to earn less than private-sector practitioners. Conditions are better for a small but highly visible group of new lawyers. Known by various pejorative terms, these successful professionals earn between $155,000 and $170,000 per year.