what attorney makes the most money

by Ramon Pouros 6 min read

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:
  • Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ...
  • Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ...
  • Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ...
  • Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ...
  • Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.
Dec 18, 2020

What Kind of Lawyer Makes the Most Money?

What type of lawyer makes the most money? The median salary for different specialties differs. Some of the highest-paid types of lawyers and most lucrative specialties include the following.

How much do lawyers make?

Many factors affect how much lawyers earn; however, the salary range for lawyers varies widely. As of 2019, the average lawyer earned $126,930 annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How much does an in-house counsel make?

A company’s in-house counsel is a lawyer who works on behalf of the company instead of representing a variety of clients independently as lawyers at law firms do. Attorneys who work as in-house counsel typically earn a salary the organization sets. In March 2021, Salary.com reported that an in-house counsel’s salary average was $226,689. There was a reported salary range of $192,038 to $263,822 for lawyers working for in-house firms.​

What does a tax attorney do?

Specialized tax attorneys represent organizations in their dealings with federal, state, and local tax agencies. To protect assets and create tax savings plans, corporations and large companies pay a great deal of money to attorneys who specialize in tax laws.

Why do lawyers choose law?

It is not unusual for lawyers to choose the legal field because they want to help others. Others practice law to serve the greater good. There are populations highly dependent on the expertise of lawyers who are knowledgeable in established laws, to protect their legal rights.

What is corporate law?

Lawyers who specialize in corporate law offer advice on business transactions, acquisitions, and mergers, buying and selling businesses, running corporations, and filing legal documents for the company. The preparation and review of contracts is one hallmark of a corporate lawyer who ensures the paperwork favors the client.

How much does a law firm partner make?

An employment website, PayScale, reports that the average salary for a law firm partner in the U.S. is $187,134 per year in 2021. Average pay ranged up to $440,000 after commissions, bonuses, and profit-sharing.

How much do lawyers make?

In our last article where we discuss how much lawyers get paid, we can see that lawyers in the United States have a median salary of $120,910, which means lawyers earn around $60 per hour. This is well above the national average salary of $48,672, based on statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, given the time and financial cost of law school, it’s safe to say that there are most likely easier ways to earn money, and those that can thrive in this high-pressured and fast-paced career need to have the talent and skills as a lawyer.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer make?

On average, a criminal defense lawyer will earn $80,000 a year, but can go as much as $174,000. 5. Civil Rights Lawyers. A civil rights lawyer deals in cases that involve discrimination based on things people cannot control (race, age, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender), human rights, and equality.

Why do personal injury lawyers have contingency payments?

Because of the contingency payment plan, personal injury lawyers can pick the cases that are most likely to win. Not all cases will have high settlement amounts like the example above, but what personal injury lawyers earn is more than enough to keep its doors open that it can survive a few loses. So, a personal injury lawyer may earn as low as a family lawyer or way more than an intellectual property lawyer, depending on the cases they take on.

How do personal injury lawyers get paid?

This means that they can only get paid if their client wins the case and receives a settlement. The lawyer takes a percentage of this settlement (usually 1/3 of the total settlement).

What is corporate law?

Corporate lawyers work in private practices, law firms that provide services to corporations, or in-house legal departments or corporations, to ensure that the business is complying with laws and regulations. Every legal aspect a corporation needs (copyright, patenting an employee’s work, libel cases against the corporation, down to making sure advertising and marketing aren’t committing copyright infringement) lies in the hands of their corporate lawyers.

Why do tax lawyers work?

Tax lawyers work with private individuals and businesses to ensure their taxes are properly filed and any tax-related case they have is handled. Because taxes affect nearly everyone, tax lawyers have the option of working for a corporation or to have their own private practice to help multiple clients with their tax cases. Tax lawyers have a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge on tax laws, so it’s no surprise that many tax lawyers also have accounting licenses. Their knowledge in tax law allows clients to know all their options when making financial and legal decisions.

What do real estate lawyers do?

Real estate lawyers handle anything related to businesses dealing in residential, commercial, and office real estate. They look at the contracts and make sure their client is getting a fair deal with no loopholes that can be exploited. They make sure the rental agreements are fair. They make sure the deeds are in place and that those planning to buy, rent, or sell property are getting whatever is entitled to them. And given that the median home price in the United States is $200,000, it means real estate lawyers handle large assets in terms of property.

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