In life, what you don’t know will set you back. Knowledge is power, and when it comes to salaries, knowledge can also mean a bigger paycheck.

Because we care about you and your financial well-being, we’ve put together some numbers that we think you’ll find useful.

Okay, let’s cut the fluff and get straight to brass tacks.

First-Year Associate Attorney salary info for Miami/ Fort Lauderdale, FL

Range: $64,000-$142,000

Range: Average: $77,000

Attorney’s in Miami/ Fort Lauderdale, FL with 2-3 years of experience

Range: $81,000-$177,000

Range: Average: $100,000

Attorney’s in Miami/ Fort Lauderdale, FL with 4-9 years of experience

Range: $94,000-$219,000

Range: Average: $121,000

Attorney’s in Miami/ Fort Lauderdale, FL with 10 + years of experience

Range: $117,000-$249,000

Range: Average: $144,000

Why the large swings between ranges?

Salaries are based on many factors, such as practice area, the scope of work, demand of position, firm size, experience, and more. I'll break it down a bit further below.

The low end of the salary range

The bottom end of the salary range represents attorneys with little to no experience and those practice areas that have low demand. The lowest end represents the 25th percentile of salaries.

The high end of the salary range

The higher end of the salary range is quite rare, as the position not only has to be in high demand, the attorneys experience, skill level, and expertise must be exceptionally high to be justified. The higher end represents the 95th percentile of salaries.

Average salary range

The average salary range is self-explanatory. It’s based on what the average attorney should expect to earn, more or less. The average salary represents the 50th percentile of salaries.

In closing

When looking at ranges of any kind, but particularly money, we tend to zero in on the top number and ignore the rest. It's not your fault, it's human nature! This, however, would be a mistake for most of us, as it creates unrealistic expectations that can lead to disappointment and potentially missing out on what is a fair compensation package.