Lawyer
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
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.
Also called: Attorney · Attorney General · Attorney at Law · Counsel · County Attorney · District Attorney · General Counsel · Lawyer
O*NET-SOC 23-1011.00 (Lawyers)
Lawyer salary
Wages for lawyers across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $76.76.
Lawyer pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $97,950 | $195,080 | $369,180 |
| Texas | $79,340 | $154,200 | $349,490 |
| Florida | $75,530 | $133,180 | $301,050 |
| New York | $85,200 | $207,860 | $391,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,100 | $157,180 | $323,370 |
| Illinois | $82,160 | $160,800 | $330,200 |
| Ohio | $69,790 | $131,020 | $269,530 |
| Georgia | $58,750 | $134,830 | $317,820 |
| North Carolina | $61,610 | $127,710 | $323,720 |
| Michigan | $77,180 | $130,520 | $238,370 |
Lawyer job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 863,700 jobs in 2025 to 904,300 in 2035 (5% change).
- About 28,700 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Average.
How to become a lawyer
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma.4%
- High school diploma or equivalent.7%
- Some college, no degree.8%
- Associate's degree.4%
- Bachelor's degree6.6%
- Master's degree4.6%
- Doctoral or professional degree86.5%
Related training programs
- Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General
- Agriculture Law
- American/US Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- Arts and Entertainment Law
- Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law
- Canadian Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- Comparative Law
- Compliance Law
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law
- Entrepreneurship Law
- Family/Child/Elder Law
What does a lawyer do?
Common tasks
- 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.
- Present and summarize cases to judges and juries.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Select jurors, argue motions, meet with judges, and question witnesses during the course of a trial.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
Most important skills
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
- Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Lawyer certifications
8 of 15 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)National Conference of Bar Examiners · Advanced
- National Conference of Bar Examiners · Advanced
- National Board of Trial Advocacy · Core
- National Board of Trial Advocacy · Specialty
- National Conference of Bar Examiners · Advanced
- National Conference of Bar Examiners · Advanced
- American Board of Certification · Specialty
- American Board of Certification · Specialty
See all 15certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Lawyer jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more attorneys & legal jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Attorneys & Legal jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Judicial Law Clerks
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary
- Labor Relations Specialists
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts
- Chief Executives
More attorneys & legal careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Lawyers. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.