Legal occupations: pay, outlook, and education
Official pay, projected growth, openings, and entry requirements for 831 U.S. occupations. Filter, sort, and open any career for state and metro pay, skills, programs, and licenses.
8 occupations. Wages Verified data Growth and openings Official projection
| Occupation | Median wage | Change 2025 to 2035 | Openings per year | Employment | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers SOC 23-1011 | $159,670 | +4.7% | 28,700 | 863,700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates SOC 23-1023 | $153,990 | +2.8% | 800 | 25,300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers SOC 23-1021 | $117,860 | 0.0% | 500 | 17,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators SOC 23-1022 | $75,530 | +4.7% | 300 | 10,500 | Bachelor's degree |
| Legal support workers, all other SOC 23-2099 | $72,110 | -0.3% | 4,700 | 50,200 | Associate's degree |
| Judicial law clerks SOC 23-1012 | $64,920 | +2.8% | 1,500 | 14,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Paralegals and legal assistants SOC 23-2011 | $62,890 | -0.3% | 40,800 | 404,900 | Associate's degree |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers SOC 23-2093 | $58,650 | +2.1% | 5,300 | 59,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Employment is from BLS Employment Projections (2025) when OEWS does not publish it. Median wage is the OEWS May 2025 national median annual wage; hourly medians are shown where BLS publishes hourly wages only.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.