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Field of degree: Law and legal studies

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Law and legal studies field of degree. Employment: 147,700. Median annual wage: $65,000.

Table 1. Law and legal studies degree, 2023.

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Table 1. Law and legal studies degree, 2023
Data	Law and legal studies	All fields
Employment	147,700	63,725,710
Median wage	65,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	47	62
Percent with an advanced degree	38	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of law and legal studies majors, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of law and legal studies, 2023
Law and legal studies majors	Major share
Pre-Law And Legal Studies	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a law and legal studies degree, by occupational group, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a law and legal studies degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Legal occupations	27%
Management occupations	12
Business and financial operations occupations	11
Office and administrative support occupations	11
Educational instruction and library occupations	7
Other	31
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a law and legal studies degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a law and legal studies degree
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Lawyers	14%	91%	4%	Doctoral or professional degree
Paralegals and legal assistants	12	11	0	Associate's degree
Managers, all other	3	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive	2	5	-2	High school diploma or equivalent
Project management specialists	2	25	6	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Accountants and auditors	2	29	5	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	2	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	1	8	3	High school diploma or equivalent
Retail salespersons	1	4	0	No formal educational credential
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Law and legal studies,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/law-and-legal-studies/law-and-legal-studies-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025