Are you in law school and wondering about the legal jobs that pay more or less? This should not be the deciding factor when determining what type of law you want to practice, but it is certainly a consideration for many law students.
The legal industry offers hundreds of other career options. You are not limited to just practicing law. You can teach, manage a company, or even work in political positions. Practicing law may be the most consistently lucrative option, but you also have many different areas of law to choose from if you take that path.
Note: Salaries can range from minimum wage to nine-figure incomes, depending on geographic location, market demand, level of experience, practice environment, and employer size.
Trial Attorneys
Trial attorneys are among the highest-paid legal professionals in the world. Thousands practice worldwide, but civil attorneys dealing with high-value cases and significant files are the most compensated.
However, not all attorneys earn high incomes. Many public interest and solo practitioners earn modest salaries. Trial attorneys’ earnings range from an average of about $99,000 according to PayScale to $119,000 on average according to ZipRecruiter through mid-2022.
Intellectual Property Attorneys
Intellectual property laws protect ideas such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other profitable concepts. This is a rapidly growing legal field with ongoing technological advancements, and it is also statistically among the most lucrative. The median salary was around $129,000 in February 2022. Attorneys at the high end can earn up to $252,000 annually.
Tax Attorneys
These attorneys work with individuals and businesses to solve tax issues. They assist with estate planning and even litigate against the Internal Revenue Service. They often serve as key advisors when someone starts a business or when contracts need to be drafted.
Note: Compensation can vary depending on your location.
This type of work isn’t as glamorous as that of trial attorneys, but tax attorneys earn good salaries. Their average pay was around $102,000 in June 2022, while some earn up to $195,000.
Real Estate Attorneys
Real estate attorneys review offers and contracts to ensure that sellers and buyers get fair deals. While real estate attorneys earn good salaries, the average pay was about $87,000 in August 2022. These attorneys can earn up to around $133,000 annually.
Note: The median annual wage for all types of attorneys was $127,990 in May 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Median” means that half of all attorneys earn more than that and half earn less.
Chief Legal Officers
Chief Legal Officers (CLOs), also known as general counsel, head legal departments in corporations. The larger the company, the higher the salaries for general counsel. Profits for chief legal officers overseeing large multinational companies can reach seven figures. In addition to base salaries, chief legal officers receive bonuses, stock options, and other perks that can significantly enhance their compensation packages. Chief legal officers earned an average salary of about $207,000 in August 2022, with earnings exceeding $338,000 according to PayScale.
Judges and Hearing Officers
Judges and hearing officers preside over sessions in federal, state, and local courts. Judges and magistrates earned an average annual salary of $148,030 in May 2021, while the average for administrative judges and hearing officers was $102,550.
Highest
Judges are those who work in the federal judicial system. Local judges and hearing officers earn less. Most judges enjoy health benefits in addition to generous salaries, including expense accounts and contributions to retirement plans made on their behalf. This increases the size of their compensation packages.
Members of Congress
Working in the political field might be suitable for you if you like the idea of working toward changing laws to improve the situation for a state or an entire country. Having a legal degree is not technically a requirement to enter politics, but it can certainly help. Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, and some higher positions, such as the Speaker of the House, earn about $223,500 as of 2022.
Law School Professor
Law school professors teach law courses, conduct research, and publish scholarly works in their areas of expertise. Salaries vary by region and school. The median salary for full professors was about $132,000 in January 2022, reaching up to $202,000.
Securing a position as a law school professor is competitive. The qualifications required for the best candidates include a law degree from a top law school, law review, class honors, judicial writing experience, legal practice experience, and publication credits in scholarly journals.
Litigation Support Manager
Legal professionals with technology knowledge are climbing the salary ladder as technology changes the face of legal practice. Litigation support managers earned a median salary of $131,245 in July 2022, according to Salary.com. Those with the highest salaries typically hold law degrees or advanced degrees in technology, business, or finance.
Litigation support managers oversee e-discovery initiatives and technology resources at the firm-wide level. Salaries for litigation support roles are expected to rise as demand for these professionals increases and the supply of experienced talent is scarce.
Note: Salary is an important consideration in any job, but it is more important to be passionate about what you do so you and your company can succeed.
Legal Office Manager
Legal office managers or Chief Management Officers (CMOs) oversee the business and administrative aspects of managing a law firm. Their duties include non-legal aspects of legal practice, such as financial management and reporting, business development, human resources, facilities management, technology, marketing, and practice management. Their median salary was around $69,197 in July 2022, reaching up to $86,570.
Legal office managers usually work fewer hours than most attorneys in large firms. Chief Management Officer positions require less education. Many who work in this role only have a bachelor’s degree. This can be a great option for those looking for a profitable job in the legal industry.
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Sources:
ZipRecruiter. “Trial Attorney Salary.”
PayScale. “Average Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyer Salary.”
PayScale. “Average Tax Attorney Salary.”
PayScale. “Average Real Estate Attorney Salary.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook/Lawyers.”
PayScale. “Average Chief Legal Officer Salary.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook/Judges and Hearing Officers.”
Congressional Research Service. “Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables,” Page 1.
PayScale. “Average Professor of Law Salary.”
Salary.com. “Litigation Support Manager Salary in the United States.”
Salary.com. “Legal Office Administrator Salary in the United States.”
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/highest-paying-legal-jobs-2164341
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