Entering into law school but unsure of the the different jobs and salaries common to the legal field? This article will cover some of the common career paths in law and the salaries that come along with them. Regardless of the type of job or salary you receive, you can be assured that you can earn a hefty paycheck, as long as you are ready to deal with hardship of pursuing a legal career. Here are is some helpful information on what you can expect, professionally, after law school:
Common careers for law school graduates
The education, training, and experience that students get through law school is respected in many different industries. Education, litigation, and insurance are just some of the industries that lawyers commonly go in to. Basically, your achievements, legal specialization, pre-law education, and professional experience will determine which fields you can go into. Remember, that you can always have your own practice as well.
Salary information on lawyers
Like any other career path, there are different factors that affect the salaries that lawyers earn. PayScale reports that, as of September 2008, law school graduates who have just graduated can earn roughly $50,000 annually. With time, your salary is likely to increase steadily. After 10 years, you can be earning around $80,000 per year and upwards of $100,000, 20 years after graduating from law school.
There are more specific factors that directly affect your salary, though. Specialization is one of these factors. The three specializations that earn the most on average are corporate law, litigation and appeals, and real estate. Law school graduates in these fields can earn yearly salaries of around $85,000, $75,000, and $74,000, respectively.
Another factor that will have an effect on your salary as a law school graduate is the place in which you work. For example, those who work for non-government organizations can expect around $54,000 per year, while those who work for the government earn about $91,000 per year. If you handle the legal concerns of a hospital, you can earn around $83,000 per year. Just be sure that the place you decide to work for can offer you the working environment and perks that you are interested in.
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