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Legal Occupations

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Employment of legal occupations is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations, which will result in about 116,200 new jobs. As law firms try to increase the efficiency of legal services and reduce their costs, there is expected to be strong demand to hire many more paralegals and legal assistants. Additionally, the demand for lawyers is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and governments require legal services in many areas.

The median annual wage for legal occupations was $80,810 in May 2018, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $38,640.

OCCUPATION	JOB SUMMARY	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2018 MEDIAN PAY
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators	Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.	Bachelor's degree	$62,270
Court Reporters	Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Some court reporters provide captioning for television and real-time translation for deaf or hard-of-hearing people at public events, in business meetings, or in classrooms.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$57,150
Judges and Hearing Officers	Judges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts. They also conduct pretrial hearings, resolve administrative disputes, facilitate negotiations between opposing parties, and issue legal decisions.	Doctoral or professional degree	$117,190
Lawyers	Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.	Doctoral or professional degree	$120,910
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents.	Associate's degree	$50,940