Lawyers: Job Description
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.
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What Do Lawyers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of lawyers include:
- 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.
- Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
- Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top lawyers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Lawyers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Admiralty Lawyer
- Agency Legal Counsel
- Attorney
- Attorney General
- Attorney at Law
- Barrister
- Business Lawyer
- Chief Counsel
How Many Lawyers Are There?
There are roughly 151,396 lawyers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Lawyers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $73,181 |
| Hourly median | $35.18 |
| 10th percentile | $42,203 |
| 25th percentile | $57,692 |
| 75th percentile | $88,670 |
| 90th percentile | $104,159 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Lawyers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $197,790 |
| District of Columbia | $191,880 |
| Massachusetts | $179,050 |
| New York | $177,210 |
| Delaware | $172,710 |
| Colorado | $167,970 |
| Connecticut | $159,240 |
| New Jersey | $158,470 |
| Virginia | $157,980 |
| Illinois | $157,320 |
| Washington | $151,950 |
| Maryland | $143,490 |
| Oregon | $141,520 |
| Minnesota | $137,720 |
| Texas | $133,570 |
| Arizona | $133,360 |
| Alaska | $132,710 |
| Tennessee | $130,570 |
| Indiana | $130,120 |
| Rhode Island | $128,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,940 |
| Florida | $127,810 |
| Alabama | $127,660 |
| Michigan | $126,600 |
| Georgia | $126,240 |
| Utah | $125,710 |
| Ohio | $125,450 |
| Guam | $125,000 |
| North Carolina | $124,880 |
| Missouri | $124,210 |
| New Hampshire | $122,640 |
| Wisconsin | $119,970 |
| Virgin Islands | $117,990 |
| Hawaii | $116,010 |
| Louisiana | $112,600 |
| New Mexico | $112,500 |
| Kansas | $112,000 |
| Iowa | $107,870 |
| Nebraska | $104,970 |
| North Dakota | $104,940 |
| South Carolina | $104,160 |
| Kentucky | $102,670 |
| Idaho | $102,280 |
| West Virginia | $102,240 |
| Vermont | $101,090 |
| Montana | $100,750 |
| Maine | $100,340 |
| Wyoming | $100,170 |
| Oklahoma | $98,870 |
| South Dakota | $96,550 |
| Mississippi | $92,610 |
| Arkansas | $86,970 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for lawyers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $177,353 | 16.4% | 0.99 |
| Middle Atlantic | $167,867 | 25.8% | 2.99 |
| New England | $164,690 | 4.6% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $146,470 | 3.8% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $137,879 | 11.5% | 0.86 |
| Southwest | $129,352 | 10.3% | 0.81 |
| Southeast | $126,042 | 21.8% | 0.95 |
| Plains States | $122,780 | 5.1% | 0.77 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Lawyers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $215,090 | 16,940 |
| Midland, MI | MI | $209,430 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $205,900 | 40,990 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $203,450 | 93,730 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $196,980 | 150 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $194,740 | 18,900 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $192,800 | 200 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $191,880 | 48,170 |
Which Industries Hire Lawyers
The bulk of lawyers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 470,370 | $150,110 |
| Finance and Insurance | 34,340 | $183,920 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 23,460 | $216,440 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11,140 | $140,830 |
| Information | 11,100 | $218,380 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 8,830 | $131,090 |
| Manufacturing | 5,350 | $226,130 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 5,140 | $142,630 |
Lawyers work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Data mining software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for lawyers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Getting Started in This Career
This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
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- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (Primary-Short)
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- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Primary-Long)
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Where to Study
Aspiring lawyers often complete programs in:
Legal Professions and Studies
26 programs across 2 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 23-1011.00 (Lawyers).
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