Law & Government
Lawyer
Lawyers advise clients, draft documents, and argue cases across countless specialties. High status and pay at the top, with a competitive market and demanding hours.
Median salary (BLS)
$135,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$70k – $300k
Job outlook
+8% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $105,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Lawyer
Education
Typical entry: Doctorate / professional (MD, JD, PhD)
Bachelor's → law school (JD) → bar exam.
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateLicense requiredCost to qualify
$90,200–$415,000
Time to qualify
8.5 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
Bachelor's degree
DegreeFour years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.
$40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source
- 2
Doctoral / professional degree (PhD, MD, JD…)
DegreeThree to seven years beyond the bachelor's. PhDs are often funded with a stipend; MD and JD programs are among the most expensive.
$50,000–$260,000 · 4 years source
- 3
Bar exam / state licensure / academy
LicenseLawyers: the state bar exam. Public-safety roles: a training academy plus state certification.
$200–$5,000 · 6 months · varies by state source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Lawyer" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Lawyer Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Lawyer
Entry / Junior
$70,000
~2 yrs to advance
Lawyer
Established
$135,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Lawyer
Senior
$217,500
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •Research and write legal documents
- •Advise clients
- •Argue cases or negotiate
Fields of study
Pre-Law · Political Science · History
Top colleges for Law & Government
Explore all- Yale University5% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Pre-Law, Political Science, History), not by job-title guessing.