# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/lawyers
- SOC code: 23-1011.00
- Career family: Legal
- Median annual pay: $159,670 (10th percentile $78,360, 90th percentile $351,600)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.7%
- Openings a year: 28,700
- Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 2 |
| Investigative (I) | 56 |
| Artistic (A) | 23 |
| Social (S) | 41 |
| Enterprising (E) | 75 |
| Conventional (C) | 60 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 91/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 90/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 88/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 87/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 86/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 84/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 81/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 78/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 78/100)

## Skills

Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Negotiation, Persuasion, Active Learning

## Knowledge

Law and Government, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Personnel and Human Resources, Public Safety and Security

## Also called

Admiralty Lawyer, Agency Legal Counsel, Attorney, Attorney at Law, Attorney General, Barrister, Business Lawyer, Chief Counsel, City Attorney, City Solicitor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Law](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/2201) (CIP 2201, 182 colleges)
- [Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/2202) (CIP 2202, 171 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Drexel University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/drexel-university-834) | Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $63,974 | $87,416 | $27,000 |
| [James Madison University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/james-madison-university-1324) | Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $47,879 | $61,496 | $19,500 |
| [Winona State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/winona-state-university-3292) | Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | not reported | $48,808 | $25,000 |

## Related careers

- [Judicial Law Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/judicial-law-clerks): $64,920 median pay
- [Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/administrative-law-judges-adjudicators-and-hearing-officers): $117,860 median pay
- [Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/judges-magistrate-judges-and-magistrates): $153,990 median pay
- [Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/arbitrators-mediators-and-conciliators): $75,530 median pay
- [Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/equal-opportunity-representatives-and-officers): $80,730 median pay
- [Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/claims-adjusters-examiners-and-investigators): $78,000 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.