If you’re thinking of becoming a lawyer, it’s important to know what your salary might look like.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual wage for lawyers in 2016 was $130,210. But that’s just an average. The actual range varies widely depending on where you work, what kind of law you practice, and how long you’ve been practicing.
If you’re considering going to law school and becoming a lawyer, here’s what you need to know about your potential salary.
Lawyer Salary With A Bachelor’s Degree
Salary Information
A bachelor’s degree in law enables individuals to work various jobs in the field, including paralegals, legal assistants and legal secretaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegals and legal assistants can expect to make the most income working for the federal government or in finance and insurance. The BLS also states that the lowest ten percent earned $31,400 or less and the highest ten percent earned $82,050 or more as of May 2018. As of February 2020, salary, benefits and compensation information company PayScale.com reported the following median annual salaries for legal professionals:
Paralegal
Paralegals earned an average of $48,132 per year. PayScale.com noted that a skill in legal research allowed professionals to make more money, with individuals making an average of $48,536. Salary also tends to increase as professionals gain more years of experience.
Legal Assistant
The mean annual salary for legal assistants was $43,931. According to PayScale.com, having skills in litigation case management can result in higher pay for legal assistants, with the average pay being $71,000. Paralegals and legal assistants who work for the federal government made median annual wages of $67,340 in May 2018, according to the BLS.
Legal Secretary
Legal secretaries had a mean salary of $54,310 as of February 2020. This salary was most influenced by skills in litigation case management, according to PayScale.com. Legal secretaries with this skill made an average of $55,561. Entry level positions may expect to earn around $36,000 while more than 20 years of experience may earn someone $64,000.
Job Information
While they all fall under the umbrella of the legal field, paralegals, legal assistants and legal secretaries each have distinct job duties.
Paralegals
- Paralegals perform legal work under the supervision of a licensed lawyer.
- They are not permitted to perform any duties related to the practicing of law in a courtroom setting.
- Paralegals often specialize in a particular area, such as labor law, corporate law or litigation.
- Duties often include using computer software to review and organize case documents.
Legal Assistants
- Legal assistants generally perform the same duties as paralegals, though actual duties can differ by employer.
- Although the terms ‘paralegal’ and ‘legal assistant’ are often used interchangeably, the term ‘legal assistant’ is sometimes used to describe individuals who perform secretarial duties for lawyers as well.
Legal Secretaries
- Legal secretaries prepare various types of legal documents and correspondence, including subpoenas, summonses and motions.
- Legal secretaries sometimes review law journals and conduct legal research.
- All duties are performed under the supervision of a lawyer or paralegal.
Employment Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of paralegals and legal assistants was projected to grow by 12% from 2018-2028. A need to hire paralegals to complete research and perform various types of legal services was expected to drive much of the growth in this field.
For that same decade, the BLS estimated a 21% decrease in employment of legal secretaries. This anticipated drop in jobs was due to more law firms assigning work typical of legal secretaries to paralegals and legal assistants, thus cutting costs.
Paralegals, legal assistants and legal secretaries are a few of the available jobs for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in law. Except for legal secretaries, individuals can expect positive job growth in the field and median salaries below $51,000.
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.
Work Environment: The majority of lawyers work in private and corporate legal offices. Some lawyers work for federal, local, and state governments. Most lawyers work full time and many work more than 40 hours a week.
How to Become One: Lawyers must have a law degree and must also typically pass a state’s written bar examination.
Salary: The median annual wage for lawyers is $127,990.
Job Outlook: Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of lawyers with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a Lawyer with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following Lawyer jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Lawyer Jobs
- Part-Time General Legal Advice Lawyer (WFH / Remote Position) – Foresight Legal – Los Angeles, CAWe have a great team and culture; we are a good fit for a lawyer looking to achieve a better work-life balance. Please email a cover letter that addresses your qualifications for this position along …
- HFA St. Louis Tenant Defense Lawyer – Right to the City Alliance – Saint Louis, MOLouis is hiring a Tenant Defense Lawyer to further ensure that tenants and renters have access to legal support, education and representation. Primary Responsibilities will include: * Participate in …
- Senior Systems Engineer – 366 – Rocket Lawyer – San Francisco, CAAbout Rocket Lawyer We believe everyone deserves access to affordable and simple legal services. Founded in 2008, Rocket Lawyer is the largest and most widely used online legal service platform in …
What Lawyers Do[About this section] [To Top]
Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.
Duties of Lawyers
Lawyers typically do the following:
- Advise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters
- Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case
- Conduct research and analysis of legal problems
- Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses
- Present facts in writing and verbally to their clients or others, and argue on behalf of their clients
- Prepare and file legal documents, such as lawsuits, appeals, wills, contracts, and deeds
Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors.
As advocates, they represent one of the parties in a criminal or civil trial by presenting evidence and arguing in support of their client.
As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest courses of action in business and personal matters. All attorneys research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the laws to the specific circumstances that their clients face.
Lawyers often oversee the work of support staff, such as paralegals and legal assistants and legal secretaries.
Lawyers may have different titles and different duties, depending on where they work.
In law firms, lawyers, sometimes called associates, perform legal work for individuals or businesses. Those who represent and defend the accused may be called criminal law attorneys or defense attorneys.
Attorneys also work for federal, state, and local governments. Prosecutors typically work for the government to file a lawsuit, or charge, against an individual or corporation accused of violating the law. Some may also work as public defense attorneys, representing individuals who could not afford to hire their own private attorney.
Others may work as government counsels for administrative bodies and executive or legislative branches of government. They write and interpret laws and regulations and set up procedures to enforce them. Government counsels also write legal reviews of agency decisions. They argue civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government.
Corporate counsels, also called in-house counsels, are lawyers who work for corporations. They advise a corporation’s executives about legal issues related to the corporation’s business activities. These issues may involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests, taxes, or collective-bargaining agreements with unions.
Public-interest lawyers work for private, nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to disadvantaged people or others who otherwise might not be able to afford legal representation. They generally handle civil cases, such as those having to do with leases, job discrimination, and wage disputes, rather than criminal cases.
In addition to working in different industries, lawyers may specialize in particular legal fields. Following are examples of types of lawyers in these fields:
Environmental lawyers deal with issues and regulations that are related to the environment. For example, they may work for advocacy groups, waste disposal companies, or government agencies to help ensure compliance with relevant laws.
Tax lawyers handle a variety of tax-related issues for individuals and corporations. They may help clients navigate complex tax regulations, so that clients pay the appropriate tax on items such as income, profits, and property. For example, tax lawyers may advise a corporation on how much tax it needs to pay from profits made in different states in order to comply with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules.
Intellectual property lawyers deal with the laws related to inventions, patents, trademarks, and creative works, such as music, books, and movies. For example, an intellectual property lawyer may advise a client about whether it is okay to use published material in the client’s forthcoming book.
Family lawyers handle a variety of legal issues that pertain to the family. They may advise clients regarding divorce, child custody, and adoption proceedings.
Securities lawyers work on legal issues arising from the buying and selling of stocks, ensuring that all disclosure requirements are met. They may advise corporations that are interested in listing in the stock exchange through an initial public offering (IPO) or in buying shares in another corporation.
Work Environment for Lawyers[About this section] [To Top]
Lawyers hold about 804,200 jobs. The largest employers of lawyers are as follows:
| Legal services | 49% |
| Self-employed workers | 17% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 7% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 6% |
| Federal government | 5% |
Lawyers work mostly in offices. However, some travel to attend meetings with clients at various locations, such as homes, hospitals, or prisons. Others travel to appear before courts.
Lawyers may face heavy pressure during work—for example, during trials or when trying to meet deadlines.
Lawyer Work Schedules
The majority of lawyers work full time, and many worked more than 40 hours per week. Lawyers who are in private practice and those who work in large firms often work additional hours, conducting research and preparing and reviewing documents.
How to Become a Lawyer[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Lawyers near you!
Lawyers must have a law degree and must also typically pass a state’s written bar examination.
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1. Select a Degree Level–Degree Level–AssociateBachelorBootcampDiplomaDoctorateGraduate CertificateMasterUndergraduate Certificate2. Select a Category–Category–BusinessCriminal Justice & LegalEducationFine Arts & DesignHealth & MedicineLiberal Arts & HumanitiesMath, Science & EngineeringPublic Affairs & Social SciencesReligious StudiesTechnologyVocational Training3. Select a Subject–Subject–Criminal Justice & CriminalisticsForensic ScienceHomeland Security & National DefenseLaw Enforcement, Policing & InvestigationLegal StudiesParalegal
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Education for Lawyers
Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to complete a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). ABA accreditation signifies that the law school—particularly its curricula and faculty—meets certain standards.
A bachelor’s degree is required for entry into most law schools, and courses in English, public speaking, government, history, economics, and mathematics are useful.
Almost all law schools, particularly those approved by the ABA, require applicants to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This test measures applicants’ aptitude for the study of law.
A J.D. degree program includes courses such as constitutional law, contracts, property law, civil procedure, and legal writing. Law students may choose specialized courses in areas such as tax, labor, and corporate law.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Lawyers
Prospective lawyers take licensing exams called “bar exams.” Lawyers who receive a license to practice law are “admitted to the bar.”
To practice law in any state, a person must be admitted to the state’s bar under rules established by the jurisdiction’s highest court. The requirements vary by state and jurisdiction. For more details on individual state and jurisdiction requirements, visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Most states require that applicants graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, pass one or more written bar exams, and be found by an admitting board to have the character to represent and advise others. Prior felony convictions, academic misconduct, and a history of substance abuse are just some factors that may disqualify an applicant from being admitted to the bar.
Lawyers who want to practice in more than one state often must take the bar exam in each state.
After graduation, lawyers must keep informed about legal developments that affect their practices. Almost all states require lawyers to participate in continuing legal education either every year or every 3 years.
Many law schools and state and local bar associations provide continuing legal education courses that help lawyers stay current with recent developments. Courses vary by state and generally cover a subject within the practice of law, such as legal ethics, taxes and tax fraud, and healthcare. Some states allow lawyers to take continuing education credits through online courses.
Advancement for Lawyers
Newly hired attorneys usually start as associates and work on teams with more experienced lawyers. After several years, some lawyers may advance to partnership in their firm, meaning that they become partial owners of the firm. Those who do not advance within their firm may be forced to leave, a practice commonly known as “up or out.”
After gaining a few years of work experience, some lawyers go into practice for themselves or move to the legal department of a large corporation. Very few in-house attorneys are hired directly out of law school.
Other Experience for Lawyers
Part-time jobs or summer internships in law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments provide valuable experience. Some smaller firms, government agencies, and public-interest organizations may hire students as summer associates after they have completed their first year at law school. Many larger firms’ summer associate programs are eligible only to law students who have completed their second year. All of these experiences can help law students decide what kind of legal work they want to focus on in their careers and may lead directly to a job after graduation.
Important Qualities for Lawyers
Analytical skills. Lawyers help their clients resolve problems and issues. As a result, they must be able to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions.
Interpersonal skills. Lawyers must win the respect and confidence of their clients by building a trusting relationship so that clients feel comfortable enough to share personal information related to their case.
Problem-solving skills. Lawyers must separate their emotions and prejudice from their clients’ problems and objectively evaluate the relevant applicable information. Therefore, good problem-solving skills are important for lawyers, to prepare the best defense and recommendations for their clients.
Research skills. Lawyers need to be able to find those laws and regulations which apply to a specific matter, in order to provide the appropriate legal advice for their clients.
Speaking skills. Lawyers must be able to clearly present and explain their case to arbitrators, mediators, opposing parties, judges, or juries, because they are speaking on behalf of their clients.
Writing skills. Lawyers need to be precise and specific when preparing documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
Lawyer Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for lawyers is $127,990. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,400, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $208,000.
The median annual wages for lawyers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Federal government | $152,590 |
| Legal services | $127,530 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $100,330 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $100,240 |
Lawyers who own their own practices usually earn less than those who work in law firms or other business establishments. Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey wage data only includes lawyers working in business establishments.
The majority of lawyers work full time, and many worked more than 40 hours per week. Lawyers who are in private practice and those who work in large firms often work additional hours, conducting research and preparing and reviewing documents.
Job Outlook for Lawyers[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 46,000 openings for lawyers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
See all legal jobs.
Employment of Lawyers
Demand for legal work is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government require legal services in many areas.
Despite this need for legal services, more price competition over the next decade may lead law firms to rethink their project staffing in order to reduce costs to clients. Clients are expected to cut back on legal expenses by demanding less expensive rates and scrutinizing invoices. Work that was previously assigned to lawyers, such as document review, may now be given to paralegals and legal assistants. Also, some routine legal work may be outsourced to other, lower cost legal providers located overseas.
Although law firms will continue to be among the largest employers of lawyers, many large corporations are increasing their in-house legal departments in order to cut costs. For many companies, the high cost of hiring outside counsel lawyers and their support staffs makes it more economical to shift work to their in-house legal department. This shift will lead to an increase in the demand for lawyers in a variety of settings, such as financial and insurance firms, consulting firms, and healthcare providers.
The federal government is likely to continue to need lawyers to prosecute or defend civil cases on behalf of the United States, prosecute criminal cases brought by the federal government, and collect money owed to the federal government. However, budgetary constraints at all levels of government, especially the federal level, will likely moderate employment growth.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2020 | Projected Employment, 2030 | Change, 2020-30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Lawyers | 804,200 | 875,700 | 9 | 71,500 |
