How much does a Criminal Defense Lawyer make in Houston, TX?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Houston, TX is $105,161. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $90,127 to $122,103, with most professionals earning between $76,439 and $137,529.

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Salary range for an Criminal Defense Lawyer
$90,127 to $122,103
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What is a Criminal Defense Lawyer?

A Criminal Defense Lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts for appointment to represent indigent persons; the latter are generally called public defenders. The terminology is imprecise because each jurisdiction may have different practices with various levels of input from state and federal law or consent decrees. Some jurisdictions use a rotating system of appointments, with ju...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

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Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
90127
122103
105161

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
93066
129994
109979
What is the average salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer in 2025?
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Criminal Defense Lawyer in Houston, TX. The base salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer ranges from $90,127 to $122,103 with the average base salary of $105,161. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $93,066 to $129,994 with the average total cash compensation of $109,979.
Average Salary Average Salary Range
Base Salary $105,161 $90,127 - $122,103
Bonus $4,818 $2,939 - $7,890
Total Pay $109,979 $93,066 - $129,994
* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.
* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.
CITY, STATE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Pasadena, TX AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $89,793 - $121,651 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Galveston, TX AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $89,793 - $121,651 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Beaumont, TX AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $87,120 - $118,030 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Port Arthur, TX AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $85,522 - $115,865 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Lake Charles, LA AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $83,626 - $113,296 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
CITY, STATE Austin, TX AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $89,395 - $121,113 COMPARE TO Houston, TX
See salaries for Criminal Defense Lawyer in locations close to Houston, TX. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.
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JOB TITLE LOCATION MINIMUM SALARY MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Criminal Lawyer LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $90,127 MAXIMUM SALARY $122,103
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Investigator LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $65,466 MAXIMUM SALARY $85,067
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Attorney LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $84,250 MAXIMUM SALARY $116,124
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Paralegal LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $83,241 MAXIMUM SALARY $102,525
JOB TITLE Criminal Investigator LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $65,348 MAXIMUM SALARY $84,914
JOB TITLE Defense Attorney LOCATION Houston, TX MINIMUM SALARY $90,127 MAXIMUM SALARY $122,103
The Criminal Defense Lawyer job could be listed using titles that are not exactly the same, but actually are for the same or very similar job. Here are some job titles in Houston, TX that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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90127
122103

 

About Houston, Texas    Houston is located 165 miles (266 km) east of Austin, 88 miles (142 km) west of the Louisiana border, and 250 miles (400 km) south of Dallas. The city....More

Houston, Texas  area prices were up 2.3% from a year ago

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in popular cities: San AntonioDallasAustin

Jobs with a similar salary range to Criminal Defense Lawyer : Criminal Defense Attorney, Closing Attorney, Junior Legal Counsel