The field of law is quite diverse and competitive. The monetary earnings in this field depend upon the area of practice and the specialization one has, as a lawyer. This CareerStint article gives you an approximate idea regarding the types of lawyers and their salaries.
The profession of a lawyer is considered to be of crucial importance in the society, especially as it involves dealing with crucial legal matters that arise in different walks of life. Matters related to business, family, or even social conflicts including animal rights, employment rights, racialism, sexual harassment, injury, etc., need to be taken to the court. A qualified and legit lawyer is the one who is appointed to help the victim/accused deal with the legalities involved in the process to achieve justice.
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a generalized salary information of this profession, in truth, the salary varies greatly depending upon the kind of lawyer. A lawyer may attain specialty in certain areas such as crime, animal welfare, bankruptcy, insurance, and the like. According to the website Chron, “Corporate lawyers are generally the highest-paid attorneys in the United States.”
LIST OF TYPES OF LAWYERS AND THEIR SALARY INFORMATION
- Family Lawyer
- Bankruptcy Lawyer
- Corporate Lawyer
- Life Insurance Lawyer
- Criminal Lawyer
- Tax Lawyer
- Intellectual Property Lawyer
- Employment Rights Lawyer
- Real Estate Lawyer
- Personal Injury Lawyer
- Immigration lawyer
- Animal Rights Lawyer
* Note:
- The following tables consist of the state-wise average salaries. These median salaries are calculated after evaluating more than 50 million job postings from thousands of sources over the past one year, as stated by the website Indeed.
- All figures are as of June 2014 and are in US Dollars.
- All figures are average annual salaries and may vary based on education, experience, location, type of employer, and so on.
A family or divorce lawyer is hired to carry out legal formalities regarding family matters such as divorce, child adoption, child custody, child support, and the like. The salary range for a family lawyer varies depending upon the level of experience, education, qualification, reputation, and the area of living. According to the website, PayScale, their salary range is USD 48,366 – USD 118,644, annually. After including added earnings such as profit sharing and bonus, they may earn up to USD 145,437. The following table consists of the state-wise median salary information of family lawyers, as obtained from the website, Indeed.
| Alabama | $79,000 |
| Alaska | $58,000 |
| Arizona | $64,000 |
| Arkansas | $78,000 |
| California | $84,000 |
| Colorado | $69,000 |
| Connecticut | $90,000 |
| Delaware | $68,000 |
| Florida | $72,000 |
| Georgia | $89,000 |
| Hawaii | $48,000 |
| Idaho | $53,000 |
| Illinois | $88,000 |
| Indiana | $75,000 |
| Iowa | $76,000 |
| Kansas | $71,000 |
| Kentucky | $67,000 |
| Louisiana | $68,000 |
| Maine | $69,000 |
| Maryland | $80,000 |
| Massachusetts | $93,000 |
| Michigan | $79,000 |
| Minnesota | $68,000 |
| Mississippi | $81,000 |
| Missouri | $76,000 |
| Montana | $69,000 |
| Nebraska | $57,000 |
| Nevada | $60,000 |
| New Hampshire | $77,000 |
| New Jersey | $84,000 |
| New Mexico | $68,000 |
| New York | $94,000 |
| North Carolina | $74,000 |
| North Dakota | $69,000 |
| Ohio | $74,000 |
| Oklahoma | $72,000 |
| Oregon | $75,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,000 |
| Rhode Island | $71,000 |
| South Carolina | $76,000 |
| South Dakota | $59,000 |
| Tennessee | $72,000 |
| Texas | $75,000 |
| Utah | $61,000 |
| Vermont | $69,000 |
| Virginia | $78,000 |
| Washington | $80,000 |
| West Virginia | $74,000 |
| Wisconsin | $69,000 |
| Wyoming | $64,000 |
The whole process of declaring and filing for bankruptcy can be quite complicated without professional assistance. You may require the services of a bankruptcy lawyer to get the formalities done smoothly. The salary website PayScale states that a bankruptcy attorney typically earns between USD 58,537 – USD 105,151 annually. The following table consists of the state-wise median salary information of these lawyers, as mentioned on the website, Indeed.
| Alabama | $83,000 |
| Alaska | $61,000 |
| Arizona | $68,000 |
| Arkansas | $83,000 |
| California | $88,000 |
| Colorado | $73,000 |
| Connecticut | $95,000 |
| Delaware | $72,000 |
| Florida | $77,000 |
| Georgia | $94,000 |
| Hawaii | $51,000 |
| Idaho | $56,000 |
| Illinois | $93,000 |
| Indiana | $79,000 |
| Iowa | $80,000 |
| Kansas | $75,000 |
| Kentucky | $71,000 |
| Louisiana | $72,000 |
| Maine | $73,000 |
| Maryland | $85,000 |
| Massachusetts | $99,000 |
| Michigan | $83,000 |
| Minnesota | $72,000 |
| Mississippi | $86,000 |
| Missouri | $81,000 |
| Montana | $73,000 |
| Nebraska | $60,000 |
| Nevada | $63,000 |
| New Hampshire | $81,000 |
| New Jersey | $89,000 |
| New Mexico | $72,000 |
| New York | $99,000 |
| North Carolina | $79,000 |
| North Dakota | $73,000 |
| Ohio | $79,000 |
| Oklahoma | $76,000 |
| Oregon | $79,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,000 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 |
| South Carolina | $80,000 |
| South Dakota | $62,000 |
| Tennessee | $76,000 |
| Texas | $80,000 |
| Utah | $65,000 |
| Vermont | $73,000 |
| Virginia | $83,000 |
| Washington | $84,000 |
| West Virginia | $78,000 |
| Wisconsin | $73,000 |
| Wyoming | $68,000 |
The corporate world is ruled by many customs, codes, regulations, and laws. These may be related to the commencement of a business, registration, dissolution, amalgamation, or any other process(es) that are a part of running a corporation successfully. A corporate lawyer works for companies, assisting them in getting all these formalities done, and saving their millions of dollars in return. This is the reason these lawyers are paid handsomely, if employed in huge corporations, and are considered to be the highest paid among their peers in the United States. The yearly salary of a corporate lawyer falls in range of USD 49,579 to USD 210,000, according to the website PayScale. When the earnings are calculated with bonus, profit sharing, and other benefits, they range within USD 49,761 to USD 287,250. Have a look at what their median salaries look like.
| Alabama | $103,000 |
| Alaska | $76,000 |
| Arizona | $84,000 |
| Arkansas | $103,000 |
| California | $110,000 |
| Colorado | $91,000 |
| Connecticut | $117,000 |
| Delaware | $90,000 |
| Florida | $95,000 |
| Georgia | $116,000 |
| Hawaii | $64,000 |
| Idaho | $69,000 |
| Illinois | $116,000 |
| Indiana | $98,000 |
| Iowa | $100,000 |
| Kansas | $93,000 |
| Kentucky | $88,000 |
| Louisiana | $90,000 |
| Maine | $90,000 |
| Maryland | $105,000 |
| Massachusetts | $122,000 |
| Michigan | $103,000 |
| Minnesota | $89,000 |
| Mississippi | $106,000 |
| Missouri | $100,000 |
| Montana | $90,000 |
| Nebraska | $75,000 |
| Nevada | $79,000 |
| New Hampshire | $101,000 |
| New Jersey | $110,000 |
| New Mexico | $89,000 |
| New York | $123,000 |
| North Carolina | $97,000 |
| North Dakota | $91,000 |
| Ohio | $98,000 |
| Oklahoma | $94,000 |
| Oregon | $98,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,000 |
| Rhode Island | $93,000 |
| South Carolina | $100,000 |
| South Dakota | $77,000 |
| Tennessee | $94,000 |
| Texas | $99,000 |
| Utah | $80,000 |
| Vermont | $90,000 |
| Virginia | $103,000 |
| Washington | $105,000 |
| West Virginia | $96,000 |
| Wisconsin | $91,000 |
| Wyoming | $85,000 |
The services of a life insurance lawyer are required for executing life insurance formalities, and also to make sure that life insurance payment is received duly from the insurance company. The usual pay range of these lawyers, according to the website, THE RICHEST, is believed to be within USD 49,616 to USD 157,215, however, the amounts may vary depending upon the location and state. Listed below are their state-wise median earnings of this professional, annually.
| Alabama | $65,000 |
| Alaska | $48,000 |
| Arizona | $53,000 |
| Arkansas | $65,000 |
| California | $69,000 |
| Colorado | $57,000 |
| Connecticut | $74,000 |
| Delaware | $57,000 |
| Florida | $60,000 |
| Georgia | $74,000 |
| Hawaii | $40,000 |
| Idaho | $44,000 |
| Illinois | $73,000 |
| Indiana | $62,000 |
| Iowa | $63,000 |
| Kansas | $59,000 |
| Kentucky | $55,000 |
| Louisiana | $57,000 |
| Maine | $57,000 |
| Maryland | $66,000 |
| Massachusetts | $77,000 |
| Michigan | $65,000 |
| Minnesota | $56,000 |
| Mississippi | $67,000 |
| Missouri | $63,000 |
| Montana | $57,000 |
| Nebraska | $47,000 |
| Nevada | $50,000 |
| New Hampshire | $64,000 |
| New Jersey | $70,000 |
| New Mexico | $56,000 |
| New York | $78,000 |
| North Carolina | $62,000 |
| North Dakota | $57,000 |
| Ohio | $62,000 |
| Oklahoma | $59,000 |
| Oregon | $62,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,000 |
| Rhode Island | $59,000 |
| South Carolina | $63,000 |
| South Dakota | $49,000 |
| Tennessee | $60,000 |
| Texas | $63,000 |
| Utah | $51,000 |
| Vermont | $57,000 |
| Virginia | $65,000 |
| Washington | $66,000 |
| West Virginia | $61,000 |
| Wisconsin | $57,000 |
| Wyoming | $53,000 |
A criminal lawyer is needed for the defense of an individual accused of a crime which may include murder, robbery, rape, etc. Criminal defense lawyers can earn between the range of USD 39,911 – USD 140,939 per annum, according to the website, PayScale. The earning may increase up to USD 207,128 after adding bonus and profit sharing. Listed below are the salaries of a criminal lawyer according to the state of earning.
| Alabama | $60,000 |
| Alaska | $44,000 |
| Arizona | $49,000 |
| Arkansas | $59,000 |
| California | $63,000 |
| Colorado | $52,000 |
| Connecticut | $68,000 |
| Delaware | $52,000 |
| Florida | $55,000 |
| Georgia | $67,000 |
| Hawaii | $37,000 |
| Idaho | $40,000 |
| Illinois | $67,000 |
| Indiana | $57,000 |
| Iowa | $58,000 |
| Kansas | $54,000 |
| Kentucky | $51,000 |
| Louisiana | $52,000 |
| Maine | $52,000 |
| Maryland | $61,000 |
| Massachusetts | $71,000 |
| Michigan | $60,000 |
| Minnesota | $52,000 |
| Mississippi | $61,000 |
| Missouri | $58,000 |
| Montana | $52,000 |
| Nebraska | $43,000 |
| Nevada | $45,000 |
| New Hampshire | $58,000 |
| New Jersey | $64,000 |
| New Mexico | $52,000 |
| New York | $71,000 |
| North Carolina | $56,000 |
| North Dakota | $53,000 |
| Ohio | $56,000 |
| Oklahoma | $54,000 |
| Oregon | $57,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,000 |
| Rhode Island | $54,000 |
| South Carolina | $58,000 |
| South Dakota | $45,000 |
| Tennessee | $55,000 |
| Texas | $57,000 |
| Utah | $46,000 |
| Vermont | $52,000 |
| Virginia | $59,000 |
| Washington | $60,000 |
| West Virginia | $56,000 |
| Wisconsin | $53,000 |
| Wyoming | $49,000 |
Tax lawyers are specialists in the field of tax law and are hired by businesses and individuals for the purpose of filing tax returns or carrying out other tax formalities. These attorneys may draw annual salaries between USD 57,647 to USD 174,606 (without bonus and profit sharing) and USD 58,072 to USD 211,384 (with bonus and profit sharing), according to the website PayScale. The state-wise salaries of these lawyers are mentioned as under.
| Alabama | $89,000 |
| Alaska | $66,000 |
| Arizona | $73,000 |
| Arkansas | $89,000 |
| California | $95,000 |
| Colorado | $78,000 |
| Connecticut | $101,000 |
| Delaware | $78,000 |
| Florida | $82,000 |
| Georgia | $100,000 |
| Hawaii | $55,000 |
| Idaho | $60,000 |
| Illinois | $100,000 |
| Indiana | $85,000 |
| Iowa | $86,000 |
| Kansas | $80,000 |
| Kentucky | $76,000 |
| Louisiana | $78,000 |
| Maine | $78,000 |
| Maryland | $91,000 |
| Massachusetts | $106,000 |
| Michigan | $89,000 |
| Minnesota | $77,000 |
| Mississippi | $92,000 |
| Missouri | $86,000 |
| Montana | $78,000 |
| Nebraska | $65,000 |
| Nevada | $68,000 |
| New Hampshire | $87,000 |
| New Jersey | $95,000 |
| New Mexico | $77,000 |
| New York | $106,000 |
| North Carolina | $84,000 |
| North Dakota | $78,000 |
| Ohio | $84,000 |
| Oklahoma | $81,000 |
| Oregon | $85,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,000 |
| Rhode Island | $81,000 |
| South Carolina | $86,000 |
| South Dakota | $67,000 |
| Tennessee | $82,000 |
| Texas | $85,000 |
| Utah | $69,000 |
| Vermont | $78,000 |
| Virginia | $89,000 |
| Washington | $90,000 |
| West Virginia | $83,000 |
| Wisconsin | $79,000 |
| Wyoming | $73,000 |
Intellectual property consists of patents, trademarks, copyrights on original work of art, poems, novels, publishing, and entities of similar nature. These lawyers safeguard the owner’s right to the original signs, content, products, or logos. The salary range of these lawyers vary between USD 78,760 to USD 195,772 per year. When including the benefits such as profit sharing and bonuses, the earnings may range within USD 79,189 to USD 226,592, according to the website PayScale.
| Alabama | $103,000 |
| Alaska | $76,000 |
| Arizona | $84,000 |
| Arkansas | $103,000 |
| California | $110,000 |
| Colorado | $91,000 |
| Connecticut | $117,000 |
| Delaware | $90,000 |
| Florida | $95,000 |
| Georgia | $116,000 |
| Hawaii | $64,000 |
| Idaho | $69,000 |
| Illinois | $116,000 |
| Indiana | $98,000 |
| Iowa | $100,000 |
| Kansas | $93,000 |
| Kentucky | $88,000 |
| Louisiana | $90,000 |
| Maine | $90,000 |
| Maryland | $105,000 |
| Massachusetts | $122,000 |
| Michigan | $103,000 |
| Minnesota | $89,000 |
| Mississippi | $106,000 |
| Missouri | $100,000 |
| Montana | $90,000 |
| Nebraska | $75,000 |
| Nevada | $79,000 |
| New Hampshire | $101,000 |
| New Jersey | $110,000 |
| New Mexico | $89,000 |
| New York | $123,000 |
| North Carolina | $97,000 |
| North Dakota | $91,000 |
| Ohio | $98,000 |
| Oklahoma | $94,000 |
| Oregon | $98,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,000 |
| Rhode Island | $93,000 |
| South Carolina | $100,000 |
| South Dakota | $77,000 |
| Tennessee | $94,000 |
| Texas | $99,000 |
| Utah | $80,000 |
| Vermont | $90,000 |
| Virginia | $103,000 |
| Washington | $105,000 |
| West Virginia | $96,000 |
| Wisconsin | $91,000 |
| Wyoming | $85,000 |
Clients of employment lawyers include workers who are terminated from jobs using illegal or unfair means, facing employee compensation issues, or dealing with harassment at the workplace. An experienced employment lawyer may earn within the range of USD 100,116 to USD 202,987 per annum, as stated on the website, THE RICHEST.
| Alabama | $80,000 |
| Alaska | $59,000 |
| Arizona | $65,000 |
| Arkansas | $79,000 |
| California | $85,000 |
| Colorado | $70,000 |
| Connecticut | $91,000 |
| Delaware | $69,000 |
| Florida | $73,000 |
| Georgia | $90,000 |
| Hawaii | $49,000 |
| Idaho | $53,000 |
| Illinois | $89,000 |
| Indiana | $76,000 |
| Iowa | $77,000 |
| Kansas | $72,000 |
| Kentucky | $68,000 |
| Louisiana | $69,000 |
| Maine | $70,000 |
| Maryland | $81,000 |
| Massachusetts | $94,000 |
| Michigan | $80,000 |
| Minnesota | $69,000 |
| Mississippi | $82,000 |
| Missouri | $77,000 |
| Montana | $69,000 |
| Nebraska | $58,000 |
| Nevada | $61,000 |
| New Hampshire | $78,000 |
| New Jersey | $85,000 |
| New Mexico | $69,000 |
| New York | $95,000 |
| North Carolina | $75,000 |
| North Dakota | $70,000 |
| Ohio | $75,000 |
| Oklahoma | $72,000 |
| Oregon | $76,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,000 |
| Rhode Island | $72,000 |
| South Carolina | $77,000 |
| South Dakota | $60,000 |
| Tennessee | $73,000 |
| Texas | $76,000 |
| Utah | $62,000 |
| Vermont | $70,000 |
| Virginia | $79,000 |
| Washington | $81,000 |
| West Virginia | $74,000 |
| Wisconsin | $70,000 |
| Wyoming | $65,000 |
A lawyer expert in the field of real estate helps clients to deal with matters that involve buying a house, selling property, tenancy conflicts, lease formalities, and the like. All these affairs require proper legal documentation and other formalities which require professional expertise. The salary range of this attorney falls within the range of USD 50,904 to USD 155,071 per year, according to the website, PayScale. The same website states that when bonus, profit sharing, and other forms of earnings are included, the earnings may raise up to USD 176,036.
| Alabama | $95,000 |
| Alaska | $70,000 |
| Arizona | $77,000 |
| Arkansas | $94,000 |
| California | $101,000 |
| Colorado | $83,000 |
| Connecticut | $108,000 |
| Delaware | $82,000 |
| Florida | $87,000 |
| Georgia | $107,000 |
| Hawaii | $58,000 |
| Idaho | $63,000 |
| Illinois | $106,000 |
| Indiana | $90,000 |
| Iowa | $91,000 |
| Kansas | $86,000 |
| Kentucky | $81,000 |
| Louisiana | $82,000 |
| Maine | $83,000 |
| Maryland | $96,000 |
| Massachusetts | $112,000 |
| Michigan | $95,000 |
| Minnesota | $82,000 |
| Mississippi | $97,000 |
| Missouri | $92,000 |
| Montana | $83,000 |
| Nebraska | $69,000 |
| Nevada | $72,000 |
| New Hampshire | $92,000 |
| New Jersey | $101,000 |
| New Mexico | $82,000 |
| New York | $113,000 |
| North Carolina | $89,000 |
| North Dakota | $83,000 |
| Ohio | $90,000 |
| Oklahoma | $86,000 |
| Oregon | $90,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $90,000 |
| Rhode Island | $86,000 |
| South Carolina | $92,000 |
| South Dakota | $71,000 |
| Tennessee | $87,000 |
| Texas | $91,000 |
| Utah | $74,000 |
| Vermont | $83,000 |
| Virginia | $94,000 |
| Washington | $96,000 |
| West Virginia | $89,000 |
| Wisconsin | $83,000 |
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