Which field of law pays least?
Asked by: Sylvan Barton MD | Last update: December 14, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (43 votes)
Some lawyers earn more than others, depending on their experience and practice area. Still, many law firms offer many opportunities for their associates to move up the ladder and earn a higher salary. The lowest-paid legal jobs are typically those in the public sector, such as district attorneys or public defenders.
What is the lowest pay for a lawyer?
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $148,350 and as low as $50,525, the majority of Entry Level Lawyer salaries currently range between $84,900 (25th percentile) to $110,700 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $140,825 annually in Los Angeles.
What is the easiest field of law?
The easiest law to practice is often considered to be estate planning.
What branch of law pays the most?
- Trial lawyer: $134,000.
- Tax attorney: $122,000.
- Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
- Medical lawyer: $113,000.
- Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
- Family lawyer: $93,000.
- Criminal defense lawyer: $86,000.
- Immigration lawyer: $83,000.
Which field of law is most in demand?
Corporate law, criminal law, human rights law, and tax law are some of the most popular specialities in law that students can select from their law school among the legal courses given in various specialisations. It takes a lot of patience to practise law as a profession. Law is one of our most prosperous professions.
6 Types of Lawyers Job , Their Job Profiles and Salaries
What is the most profitable field of law?
- Patent Attorneys.
- Intellectual property (IP) Attorneys.
- Trial Lawyers.
- Tax Attorneys.
- Corporate Lawyers.
Which law is best for a career?
- Corporate law. Corporate law is a broad area focusing on the legal issues that affect businesses. ...
- Civil law. ...
- Criminal law. ...
- Constitutional law. ...
- Administrative law.
What area of law pays best?
Along with your geographical location, the legal practice area you choose to specialise in can have a big impact on your earnings. You'll find the highest salaries in practice areas that deal with high-profile companies on national and international scales, such as commercial, corporate and intellectual property law.
Which branch of law is hardest?
By far, criminal law is considered the hardest law to practice on an emotional and daily level. Being a criminal defense lawyer brings with it several challenges, including long hours, navigating complex legal codes and dealing with emotionally charged situations.
Which type of law is least stressful?
Fields of Law Generally Considered Less Stressful
Transactional law, such as corporate or real estate law, involves lawyers primarily handling negotiations, contracts, and business transactions without the intensity of courtroom litigation.
What is the hardest law degree to get?
The hardest law school to get into is Yale Law School, with an acceptance rate of 5.5%. Followed by: Stanford Law School: 7% acceptance rate. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: 3.8% acceptance rate.
What type of law pays the least?
Types of Legal Positions with Lower Salaries
We find that within the legal industry, certain segments are known to offer lower compensation. Typically, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers working for nonprofit organizations are among the lowest paid.
Do lawyers make $500 an hour?
For example, an attorney practicing in a small rural area in Kansas may earn $50 per hour for the same exact legal services performed by a lawyer in Los Angeles, Atlanta, or New York where hourly rates for the same legal service could be as high as $300 to $500 per hour.
How hard is the bar exam?
The bar exam is hard. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult challenges you ever embark on. You must memorize numerous laws and consume a lot of knowledge to answer questions correctly. For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it.
What state pays lawyers the most?
Best-Paying States for Lawyers
The states and districts that pay Lawyers the highest mean salary are District of Columbia ($238,990), California ($213,860), Delaware ($212,360), New York ($208,480), and Connecticut ($195,730). How Much Do Lawyers Make in Your City? See current salary offers for jobs in your field.
What branch pays the lowest?
The salary is essentially determined by rank and length of service rather than by which specific branch one serves in. To provide you with a tangible figure, as of 2024, a newly enlisted recruit (known as an E-1) would earn a base pay of $1,865 per month, regardless of the branch they're serving in.
Which branch has highest demand?
- Mechanical Engineering.
- Computer Science Engineering.
- Electronics and Computer Engineering.
- Aerospace Engineering.
- Civil Engineering.
- Chemical Engineering.
What branch is most respected?
The Marine Corps is often considered the most respected branch of the military. Known for their elite fighting force and rigorous training programs, the Marines have a reputation for being tough, disciplined, and loyal.
What is the best law field to go into?
- Civil Rights. ...
- Animal Rights. ...
- Immigration. ...
- Sports and Entertainment. ...
- Labor. ...
- Family Law. ...
- Elder Law. ...
- Education. If actively practicing law doesn't seem to fit anymore, you can always go into education, teaching law to students.
Which area of law is most in demand?
- Cybersecurity.
- Cannabis.
- Labor.
- Elder law.
- Energy.
- IP.
- Health.
- Student loan law.
What type of law is the most profitable?
- Cybersecurity Attorney. Digital privacy, internet access, and inalienable rights are just a few of the concerns that interest lawyers who have expertise in cybersecurity. ...
- Health Lawyers. ...
- Intellectual Property Lawyer. ...
- Judge. ...
- Law School Professors. ...
- Tax Attorneys.
Which lawyer is most in demand?
Some of the most universally in-demand legal specialties include intellectual property law, family law, immigration law, real estate law, and corporate law.
What is the easiest law to study?
Many professional lawyers believe that real estate law is the least stressful and most accessible field compared to other law fields. A real estate lawyer must learn the basics while knowing the special provisions often repeated across different real estate cases.
Is law a stressful career?
Lawyers are expected to provide expert advice, make critical decisions, and work under tight deadlines, all while dealing with the constant demands of clients, colleagues, and the court system. This can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression, which are all too common in the legal profession.