Offices of Lawyers Revenue Benchmarks
The average offices of lawyers business in the United States generates $1.5M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 158,695 offices of lawyers businesses in the U.S., employing 1,045,127 workers with an average profit margin of 22.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $129K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Offices of Lawyers Business Actually Do?
Law firms providing legal services — everything from solo practitioners handling family law and estate planning to large firms doing corporate M&A. Revenue models: hourly, flat-fee, retainer, or contingency.
Who buys: Individuals (personal injury, family, estate, criminal) or businesses (corporate, employment, IP, litigation).
Average Revenue
$1.5M
per year
Profit Margin
22.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$234K
per year
Total Businesses
158,695
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$339K
small business avg
Labor Cost
50.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$129K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
47.9
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Offices of Lawyers Charge?
Lawyers bill hourly, on retainer, or flat-fee depending on matter type.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Associate hourly rate | $200–450/hour |
Partner hourly rate | $400–1,200/hour |
Flat fee — will/estate plan | $500–3,000 |
Flat fee — divorce (uncontested) | $1,500–5,000 |
Retainer (business) | $1,500–15,000/month |
Contingency (personal injury) | 33–40% of settlement |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete offices of lawyers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a offices of lawyers business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the offices of lawyers industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Client-related expenses | $4 | $65K | Software licenses, subscriptions, printing, filing fees, travel billed to clients. |
Wages & benefits | $50 | $771K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $86K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $65K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $14 | $216K | Professional liability insurance, continuing education, tech, admin support. |
Net profit | $22 | $339K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
7.79%
openings/year
Closure Rate
8.48%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+0.67%
annual
Businesses Closed
11,798
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Offices of Lawyers Business?
Startup Cost
$25K – $100K
Break-Even
2 months
5-Year Survival Rate
72.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a offices of lawyers business do?
- Law firms providing legal services — everything from solo practitioners handling family law and estate planning to large firms doing corporate M&A. Revenue models: hourly, flat-fee, retainer, or contingency. Individuals (personal injury, family, estate, criminal) or businesses (corporate, employment, IP, litigation).
- How much do offices of lawyers charge?
- Lawyers bill hourly, on retainer, or flat-fee depending on matter type. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average offices of lawyers make per year?
- The average offices of lawyers business generates $1.5M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $339K per year at a 22.0% profit margin.
- How many offices of lawyers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 158,695 offices of lawyers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 1,045,127 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a offices of lawyers business?
- Startup costs for a offices of lawyers business typically range from $25K to $100K, with a 5-year survival rate of 72.0%.
- What is the average salary in the offices of lawyers industry?
- The average employee in the offices of lawyers industry earns $129K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The offices of lawyers industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of 0.7%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 7.8% and 8.5% respectively.
Approximately 64% of offices of lawyers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 11,798 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the offices of lawyers industry earns $128,835/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 187,292 establishments employing 1,083,382 people, the typical business has about 6 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The offices of lawyers industry has declined 4% since 2000 (from 154,303 to 147,965 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Offices of Lawyers revenue with other industries: