Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in Philadelphia, PA

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How much does a Criminal Defense Lawyer make in Philadelphia, PA?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA is $110,112. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $94,370 to $127,853, with most professionals earning between $80,038 and $144,004.

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Salary range for an Criminal Defense Lawyer
$94,370 to $127,853
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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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Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary By Experience Levels in Philadelphia, PA

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary By Level of Education in Philadelphia, PA

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

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Average Salary Range for Criminal Defense Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
94370
127853
110112

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
97448
136114
115157
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 Philadelphia, PA. The base salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer ranges from $94,370 to $127,853 with the average base salary of $110,112. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $97,448 to $136,114 with the average total cash compensation of $115,157.

View Average Salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer as table

Average Salary Average Salary Range
Base Salary $110,112 $94,370 - $127,853
Bonus $5,045 $3,077 - $8,262
Total Pay $115,157 $97,448 - $136,114
* 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.

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary Near Philadelphia, PA

CITY, STATE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
CITY, STATE Camden, NJ AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $94,370 - $127,853 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA 0%
CITY, STATE West Chester, PA AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $92,537 - $125,369 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
CITY, STATE Doylestown, PA AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $97,512 - $132,109 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
CITY, STATE Trenton, NJ AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $97,810 - $132,513 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
CITY, STATE Wilmington, DE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $92,718 - $125,614 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
CITY, STATE New Castle, DE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $92,718 - $125,614 COMPARE TO Philadelphia, PA
See salaries for Criminal Defense Lawyer in locations close to Philadelphia, PA. 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.

View Salary for Similar Jobs to Criminal Defense Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA

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JOB TITLE LOCATION MINIMUM SALARY MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Criminal Lawyer LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $94,370 MAXIMUM SALARY $127,853
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Investigator LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $65,466 MAXIMUM SALARY $85,067
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Attorney LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $88,217 MAXIMUM SALARY $121,591
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Paralegal LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $87,160 MAXIMUM SALARY $107,352
JOB TITLE Criminal Investigator LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $68,425 MAXIMUM SALARY $88,912
JOB TITLE Defense Attorney LOCATION Philadelphia, PA MINIMUM SALARY $94,370 MAXIMUM SALARY $127,853
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 Philadelphia, PA that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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94370
127853

 

About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania    Philadelphia, sometimes known colloquially as Philly, is the largest city in the U.S. state and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most popul....More

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  area prices were up 1.0% from a year ago

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in popular cities: Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie

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