How Much Does a Real Estate Lawyer Make? (2025)
Real estate lawyers' work involves providing legal advice regarding real estate transactions. They are responsible for handling real estate legal issues, such as transfers of title and deeds, construction, mortgage concerns, and zoning, as well as providing legal advice, reviewing and preparing legal documents, and representing clients in resolving property-related.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, some of the top industries for lawyers, such as real estate lawyers, are federal government, legal services, and local and state government, excluding education and hospitals.
Read this salary guide as we thoroughly discuss real estate attorney salary insights, responsibilities, and factors that affect their compensation, and how to become one.
What do Real Estate Lawyers do?
Real estate law manages ownership and tenancy in real property. Since owning a home or commercial property is not simple, real estate lawyers guide and provide legal advice throughout the negotiation of the sale's terms, inspection, contract drafting and revisions, and review of all the important paperwork and information.
Restate lawyers or real estate attorneys specialize in matters regarding properties, such as buying and selling homes, ownership, disputes, and title issues. Some have expertise in highly specialized fraud cases and residential or commercial real estate.
Some real estate lawyers are in commercial real estate industry with employers in large firms, while others work in government, such as in the building and zoning departments of municipalities and counties. Other lawyers are staff in corporations, while the rest can be found doing their own practice or working in small firms for residential real estate transactions.
The roles and responsibilities of these attorneys vary with different transactions, but here are what most real estate lawyers typically do:
- They prepare and review documents regarding purchase agreements and mortgage, title, and transfer documents.
- They attend the closing with the buyer to ensure that the transaction is legal, binding, and caters to the best interest of the clients.
- They resolve problems relating to real estate disputes, such as contract issues, chain of title, and lot line problems.
- They look for obligations, such as taxes, association fees, and utility charges, and allocate them based on the contracts.
- They confirm both parties' fulfillment of the obligations under the contract.
What is a Real Estate Lawyer Salary Overview?
As of September 15, 2025, the average salary for real estate lawyers in the United States is $157,900 per year. The range is from $127,715 to $185,506, with earnings mostly between $142,100 and $172,350.
The average monthly rate is $13,158 with a range from $10,643 to $15,459, while the average hourly rate is $76 with a range from $61 to $89.
2025 Real Estate Lawyer Salary: $157,900 per year ($76 per hour)
Depending on the percentile, a real estate attorney salary with bonus ranges from $136,203 to $232,871, with $183,410 as the average value.
| Percentile | Salary + Bonus |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $136,203 |
| 25th Percentile | $158,700 |
| 50th Percentile | $183,410 |
| 75th Percentile | $209,300 |
| 90th Percentile | $232,871 |
The average total compensation for real estate lawyers, including the core compensation and benefits, is $249,189. The median base salary for real estate lawyers makes up 63.4% of the total compensation, while benefits like social security, healthcare, and time off make up 17.9%.
| Core Compensation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | % of Total | |
| Base Salary | $157,900 | 63.4% |
| Bonus | $25,510 | 10.2% |
| Value of Benefits | ||
| Social Security | $13,578 | 5.4% |
| 401K/403B | $7,703 | 3.1% |
| Disability | $3,668 | 1.5% |
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 3.4% |
| Pension | $9,904 | 4.0% |
| Time Off | $22,574 | 9.1% |
| Total Compensation | $249,189 | 100% |
What Can Affect Real Estate Lawyer Salaries?
Factors, like experience level, geographic location, education, company size, and skills, can affect the salary for real estate lawyers. Here are the effects of these factors in terms of annual compensation.
By Experience Level
The salary of real estate lawyers varies depending on the experience level. An entry-level real estate attorney salary is $152,925, while an expert-level with over 8 years of experience can expect $165,158 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Real Estate Lawyer | $152,925 |
| Intermediate Level Real Estate Lawyer | $153,373 |
| Senior Level Real Estate Lawyer | $157,860 |
| Specialist Level Real Estate Lawyer | $163,073 |
| Expert Level Real Estate Lawyer | $165,158 |
By Geographic Location
Key factors why geographic location affects salaries in the United States are the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence. Here are the hot cities in the US for real estate lawyers:
| Cities | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | $177,460 | $197,200 | $215,250 |
| Washington, District of Columbia | $157,330 | $174,820 | $190,830 |
| Miami, Florida | $136,530 | $151,710 | $165,600 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $146,840 | $163,170 | $178,110 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $158,480 | $176,100 | $192,220 |
| New York, New York | $164,680 | $182,990 | $199,740 |
| Dallas, Texas | $140,320 | $155,920 | $170,200 |
According to Salary.com data, San Francisco has the most competitive pay among the hot cities, with salaries ranging from $177,460 to $215,250, while Miami has the least, with salaries ranging from $136,530 to $165,600.
By Skills
Salaries for real estate lawyers get higher with more acquired skills, especially with competencies that have higher demands.
Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that real estate lawyers with skills in real estate appraisal can experience the highest pay increase at 8.90%, followed by legal writing at 7.01%.
Meanwhile, the most in-demand skills are real estate practice at 10.90% and legal advice at 10.60%. Some highly compensated skills also include legal case management software, legal document review, contract review, and legal analysis.
| Skills | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Appraisal | 10.70% | +8.90% |
| Legal Writing | 10.70% | +7.01% |
| Contract Review | 10.50% | +6.68% |
| Legal Advice | 10.60% | +6.56% |
| Legal Case Management Software | 10.50% | +6.24% |
| Real Estate Practice | 10.90% | +6.19% |
By Education
In terms of education, real estate lawyers mostly have a doctorate degree at 88.2%, followed by those with master's degrees at 5.4%. Meanwhile, those with bachelor's degrees are 4.1% and those with high school diploma at 1.4%.
| Degree Level | % of Users with This Level of Education |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 88.2% |
| Masters | 5.4% |
| Bachelors | 4.1% |
| High School | 1.4% |
How to Become a Real Estate Lawyer?
The job outlook for lawyers, such as real estate lawyers, projected an increase of employment at 4% from 2024 to 2034, according to the BLS. This career path earns the most money and income during good economic periods and strong housing demands. Here is how to become a real estate attorney:
- Education: Obtain a four-year bachelor's degree. Any degree is applicable, such as business or economics. Then, pass the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) to apply to American Bar Association-approved law schools. For the next 3 to 4 years, pursue a juris doctorate degree, allowing you to practice law in the country. After that, you can choose your specialization in real estate. When you have finally earned your law degree, take the bar exam in the state that you plan to practice your profession in.
- Experience: While studying in law school, pursue internships and experience in law firms since employers expect lawyers to possess skills in contract negotiation and real estate transaction preparation for entry-level positions. To get started after passing the bar exam, join associations, build network, and apply for career opportunities and developments.
What are the FAQs about the Real Estate Lawyer?
Here are some common questions about the real estate attorney salary:
What is the real estate lawyer salary near Washington, DC?
The average base salary for real estate lawyers near Washington, DC, is $174,820 per year, $14,568 per month, $3,362 per week, and $84 per hour.
What is the real estate lawyer salary near Virginia?
The real estate lawyer near Virginia is $159,000 per year, $13,250 per month, $3,058 per week, and $76 per hour.
What kind of lawyer makes the most money?
The kinds of lawyers that make the most money are patent attorneys, intellectual property (IP) attorneys, trial lawyers, tax attorneys, and corporate lawyers. For real estate lawyers, the most lucrative clients are developers who build housing and business complexes.
