Lawyers
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
What it pays
Lawyers earn a median of $76.76/hr — about $159,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $37.67/hr; the top 10% earn $169.04/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Lawyers earn a median of $76.76/hr — about $159,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $37.67/hr; the top 10% earn $169.04/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 11.9% of lawyers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
- Judicial Law Clerks
Quick questions
- How much does a lawyer make?
- The median pay is $76.76 per hour — roughly $159,500 a year, with the real range running from about $37.67/hr (10th percentile) to $169.04/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a lawyer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a lawyer actually do all day?
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses. Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents. Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.