Although the economy has made things very rough for many recent graduates, for those who find work in the field and stick it out, lawyering remains among the higher paid jobs in the nation. Below are details on 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to MSNBC’s evaluation of 2011 BLS numbers, lawyers in the private sector earn $137,170 on average, and government lawyers earn $81,960-$129,430. http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12529233-the-highest-paid-careers-in-america-today?lite?ocid=twitter According to MSNBC, the highest earning industries for lawyers are “petroleum and coal products manufacturing at around $215,760 per year, motor vehicle manufacturing at $187,360 and specialty hospitals (excluding psychiatric and substance abuse) at $184,610.”
The ABA Journal also reported on this issue, and you can find that article at http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyers_ranked_no._5_for_best_pay_doctors_top_list/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email