Advise and represent clients in legal matters, research the law, draft documents, and argue cases.
Offices and courtrooms; at a desk researching, some travel to court.
Full-time; long hours are common.
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Doctoral / professional degree
Training path: JD + bar exam (7 years total).
Requires a law degree and passing the state bar exam.
The median hides a split: BigLaw pays triple what most public-interest law does.
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Standard Occupational Classification 23-1011. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.