Lawyers
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.
Salary: $144230
Degree: Doctoral degree
Strong job growth
Law Professors
teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Salary: $130710
Degree: Doctoral degree
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction
Judges and Magistrates
arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Salary: $121130
Degree: Doctoral degree
High job satisfaction
Administrative Law Judges
conduct hearings to recommend or make decisions on claims concerning government programs or other government-related matters. Determine liability, sanctions, or penalties, or recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or settlements.
Salary: $101210
Degree: Doctoral degree
High job satisfaction
Arbitrators and Conciliators
facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
Salary: $72760
Degree: Bachelor's degree
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction
Court Reporters
use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.
Salary: $62390
Degree: Post-secondary certificate
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction
Judicial Law Clerks
assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Salary: $59540
Degree: Doctoral degree
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.
Salary: $54500
Degree: Associate's degree
Strong job growth
Title Examiners and Searchers
search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.
Salary: $51380
Degree: No degree required
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction