Employment of legal occupations is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations, which will result in about 93,300 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.
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OCCUPATION |
JOB SUMMARY |
ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION  |
2020 MEDIAN PAY |
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Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
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Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.
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Court Reporters
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Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings.
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Judges and Hearing Officers
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Judges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts.
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Lawyers
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Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.
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Paralegals and Legal Assistants
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Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers.
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2020 Median Pay
The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics survey.
Entry-level Education
Typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation.
Last Modified Date:
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
United States Department of Labor
