Career prospects in the legal industry can be interesting for those who practise law. You could make a range of incomes as a lawyer, depending on your area of practise and location. You can decide if choosing this career path is correct for you by finding out how much lawyers earn. This article reviews the various legal vocations and discusses the average salaries of lawyers.
How much do lawyers make?
In the United States, a lawyer’s yearly salary is on average $73,604. Starting at $14,000 and rising to $204,000 a year, the average lawyer’s pay is in this range. The prospective income of lawyers is affected by variables such as their locations, level of experience, and speciality.
Lawyer salaries by state
The average pay for attorneys might differ greatly from state to state. The top lawyer incomes are as follows:
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Alabama: $72,797 per year
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Arizona: $76,028 per year
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Alaska: $78,300 per year
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Arkansas: $71,909 per year
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California: $92,409 per year
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Connecticut: $80,148 per year
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Colorado: $112,994 per year
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Delaware: $96,873 per year
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District of Columbia: $84,740 per year
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Georgia: $76,304 per year
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Florida: $71,904 per year
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Hawaii: $74,955 per year
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Idaho: $69,277 per year
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Indiana: $72,902 per year
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Illinois: $82,837 per year
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Iowa: $73,850 per year
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Kansas: $72,558 per year
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Kentucky: $71,343 per year
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Louisiana: $52,857 per year
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Maine: $72,670 per year
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Maryland: $90,568 per year
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Michigan: $74,945 per year
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Massachusetts: $31.69 per hour
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Minnesota: $77,709 per year
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Mississippi: $69,049 per year
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Montana: $13.00 per hour
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Missouri: $42.69 per hour
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Nebraska: $72,677 per year
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Nevada: $56,068 per year
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New Hampshire: $74,376 per year
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New Mexico: $57,475 per year
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New Jersey: $67,802 per year
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New York: $70,463 per year
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North Dakota: $74,566 per year
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North Carolina: $75,439 per year
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Ohio: $74,782 per year
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Oregon: $77,283 per year
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Oklahoma: $71,892 per year
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Pennsylvania: $84,353 per year
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Rhode Island: $75,733 per year
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South Carolina: $73,177 per year
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South Dakota: $71,309 per year
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Tennessee: $73,774 per year
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Texas: $104,416 per year
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Utah: $72,366 per year
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Virginia: $60,140 per year
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Vermont: $73,193 per year
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Washington: $81,142 per year
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Wisconsin: $74,724 per year
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West Virginia: $70,136 per year
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Wyoming: $72,233 per year
Different law careers
There are many different specialist professions available if you wish to work in the legal industry. Following are some of the most popular jobs in common law:
Court clerk
National average salary: $16.90 per hour
Primary duties: Assisting judges, attorneys, and court staff, court clerks work in both federal and local courts. In addition to documenting court appearances, tracking the arrival of legal documents, and updating court records, they also help witnesses and jurors administer oaths. The agendas and dockets for court proceedings may also be created by court clerks.
Law clerk
National average salary: $16.61 per hour
Primary duties: Judges are assisted in their decision-making by law clerks. They document courtroom hearings and conduct legal research on relevant issues and rulings. They present judges with recommendations after finishing their research. The top students typically land these lucrative law clerk posts, and many of them are recent law school graduates.
Legal secretary
National average salary: $47,074 per year
Primary duties: In law firms, where they serve attorneys and paralegals, legal secretaries offer administrative support. They prepare legal paperwork for filing, plan meetings with clients and other parties, create correspondence to clients and adversaries, and transcribe court documents. Basic case research is something that legal secretaries can do.
Mediator
National average salary: $61,416 per year
Primary duties: In order to help people resolve legal conflicts, mediators act as impartial third parties. Their area of expertise is assisting opposing parties in having difficult conversations and coming to mutually beneficial accords. While mediators may not make decisions that are legally binding or testify in court, they do need to have a thorough knowledge of the laws and rules that are pertinent to the situation.
Paralegal
National average salary: $51,024 per year
Primary duties: With administrative work, paralegals support attorneys and law firms. They help with depositions, conduct research before trials, and compose closing arguments for cases. Along with gathering information to support their arguments, paralegals can also interview witnesses, keep records of ongoing and concluded cases, and take witness testimonies.
Judge advocate
National average salary: $72,094 per year
Primary duties: Judge advocates, often known as military lawyers, deal with matters of law and justice relating to the armed forces. These attorneys, who are commissioned officers employed by one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, offer specialised legal counsel, pursue accused offenders, and represent clients in court.
Immigration lawyer
National average salary: $69,307 per year
Primary duties: Newcomers to a country are assisted by immigration attorneys in navigating the immigration procedure. On behalf of their clients, these attorneys might represent immigrants in groups or operate independently with individuals. Attorneys who specialise in immigration law assist clients with obtaining and completing necessary documentation, laying out rules and laws, and defending clients in court.
Compliance officer
National average salary: $73,382 per year
Primary duties: Compliance officers assist businesses in adhering to rules and regulations set forth by state and local as well as federal governments. They are in charge of comprehending complicated legislation, keeping track of changes to pertinent policies, and giving stakeholders advice on how to preserve compliance. In fields like healthcare and finance where there are stringent requirements, these lawyers are most common.
Judge
National average salary: $83,882 per year
Primary duties: Courtroom proceedings are overseen by judges. They conduct hearings and trials, supervise teams of law clerks, listen to arguments and defences, and undertake research on pertinent legal issues. In addition, judges are in charge of enforcing laws, making rulings on cases, and issuing opinions. From district courts to the Supreme Court, they are employed at all judicial levels.
Contracts lawyer
National average salary: $66.56 per hour
Primary duties: Lawyers who focus on contracts, agreements, and other papers with legal force are called contracts lawyers. They create legal documents, examine and edit already-existing contracts, and give customers advice regarding the ramifications and possible results of agreements. The usage and interpretation of legal jargon is something that these attorneys are highly proficient at.
Litigation lawyer
National average salary: $117,667 per year
Primary duties: Litigation attorneys, sometimes called trial attorneys, support clients in civil actions. They administer the settlement process, manage the discovery process, and conduct investigations. Lawyers that specialise in litigation can advocate for both parties and, if necessary, help with appeals.
Corporate lawyer
National average salary: $102 per hour
Primary duties: Corporate lawyers are employed by businesses and offer legal guidance to their employers. They are also referred to as in-house counsels or corporate counsels. They may offer general counsel on contracts and employment agreements or more specialist guidance on government rules, patents, and trademarks. Some business attorneys also deal with legal matters involving taxes, property, and unions.
Employment lawyer
National average salary: $146,926 per year
Primary duties: Workers’ and employers’ legal rights are dealt with by employment lawyers. They are capable of handling everything from pay and benefits to dismissal and firing. Employment lawyers, who can represent individuals, groups of employees, or labour organisations, have a thorough awareness of the rules and legislation that apply to employees in certain jurisdictions and industries.
