Law Jobs with High Salaries
In a legal atmosphere, you can easily make over $100,000 annually, and becoming a lawyer isn’t your only option. The biggest downfall here is that to make a high income in the world of law, you have to have an advanced degree – and that’s non-negotiable.
No matter how smart you are, you can’t be licensed to practice in your state if you don’t have the right paperwork. The good news is that you can find lower-paying jobs in law offices to give you some experience while you go school, so when you’re done, you have a really strong resume for getting a job.
What are your legal job options? The three highest-paying jobs are:
- Lawyer
- Judge
- Magistrate
All three of these jobs easily have $150,000+ potential with some experience. Your total salary will depend on where you live and what you do at work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the medium salary for a lawyer in the United States is approximately $106,100.
The job outlook in this industry is also very good, with a growing need for lawyers expected over the next decade. So, by the time you complete those six or seven years of training, you’ll still be able to find a job.
Usually, we think of lawyers as the people who handle personal injury cases, prosecute crimes, and deal with divorces. While working in one of these areas might be right for you, they aren’t the only options. You can also consider entertainment law, real estate law, copyright law, environmental law, and patent law. You can also specialize even further, working with a specific industry. For example, you might be a commercial real estate lawyer or you might specialize in reviewing contracts in the entertainment industry.
- Judge and Magistrate Jobs
If you currently have a successful law career, you might want to look into a job as a judge or magistrate. The median salary for judges and magistrates is $105,000-110,000.
There are definitely $150,000+ jobs available in this career field, though keep in mind that on the low end of things, the bottom 25% only have a median salary of about $55,600.
This career field is also growing more slowly, with fewer job openings across the country.
Other Law Jobs
Depending on where you live and your experience, there are other jobs in the legal industry that could also earn you 100k+ if you know where to look. Consider a career as a hearing officer or paralegal in a large law firm, for example. Investing in a law degree will be well worth your time and money.