Average Lawyer Salary

The average lawyer salary varies with experience, location and qualification. But to get an indicative figure of what lawyers are earning, here are some figures. The average lawyer salary in the US was pegged at USD 90,300 p.a. by the Bureau of Labour Statistics. The range spreads from the lower end of about USD 44,500 p.a. to the higher end of over USD 146,000 p.a. The more successful lawyers normally practice privately. However a considerable number of lawyers are hired by the following industries and the average salaries paid to the lawyers are given in brackets – Companies and enterprises: USD131, 900 p.a., Federal government USD 98,800 p.a., Legal services USD 93,900 p.a., Local government USD 69,700 p.a. and State government USD 67,900 p.a. Naturally these are the industries that a successful lawyer would be looking at getting employed if he or she is not in private practice.

To get a better understanding of the average lawyer salary let us take a look at the average salaries of lawyers 6 months after their graduation from law school. Lawyers who set up private practice earned about USD 90,000 p.a., lawyers in industry or business earned USD 60,000 p.a., lawyers in judicial clerkship, government and academics drew USD 40,000 p.a. So that gives you a fair idea where you start off.

As a lawyer or an attorney, you act as an advocate and an advisor. As an advocate you advocate the cause of your clients in criminal and civil trials and as an advisor you counsel clients on legalities in business and personal matters. To interpret the law to a particular situation and present a cogent and convincing argument you would require extensive knowledge of the law of the land, understanding of human nature, incisive powers of deduction, a great deal of common sense, a strong personality, an eye for detail, capacity for voluminous research and excellent communication skills. To understand the case, the law, the defense etc you, as the lawyer, would be required to conduct thorough research of the case and similar cases before arriving at a suitable strategy. Extensive legal documentation such as contracts, wills etc form part of the lawyer’s job. As a lawyer you would have to deal with all kinds of people with all kinds of problems. Naturally you are expected to possess a considerable amount of sensitivity to people, a confidential nature and must conduct yourself by a strict code of ethics.

As a lawyer you could specialize in various areas such as trial work, bankruptcy, probate, international law, environment, intellectual property, insurance etc. In the private practice segment the majority of lawyers practice in criminal or civil law. Lawyers also work for legal aid societies such as private, nonprofit organizations established to serve disadvantaged people. Lawyers who own their own practices usually earn less than those who are partners in law firms. If you are a lawyer starting your own practice you may need to work part time in other occupations to supplement your income until your practice is well established.