The law profession is one of the most buzzing professions regarding how much law professionals earn. A lawyer makes around $56.81 per hour in the United States. So we can say that it is high compared to some other professions.
Some people may want to study law because it is a high-paying course. However, there can be other reasons why one may want to study law, and we will talk about it in this article.
But, it is always best to be passionate about the profession than go into it because of money. You can only impact your industry when you are passionate about the profession.
Before going further into this article, let us look at how much lawyers make per hour in some places.
Check Out The Table Below.
| Place | Lawyers’ Salary Per Hour |
| Canada | $50.97 |
| South Africa | $27.31 |
| England | $33.85 |
| China | $29.86 |
If you are a lawyer and you find yourself in any of these places, this is the amount to expect hourly.
Law Field Pays The Most In The United States
Below are some of the law fields or areas of specialization that pay the most in the United States. They are:
Corporate Law
Corporate lawyers are there to ensure the smooth running of businesses. Of course, different societies will have rules and laws guiding businesses, and the United States is not an exception.
A corporate lawyer ensures that the company or organization does not default such laws. So, the corporate lawyer will always work for hand in hand with the company, walking them through the laws in simpler terms and more.
It could not be wrong to say that the corporate lawyer serves as an unofficial auditor of the business.
A corporate lawyer earns around $80 hourly.
Intellectual Theft Property Lawyers
Typically, we can refer to such people as IP lawyers. They act the role of attorney and advisers to their clients.
If you are in the creative industry, it would come in handy for you to have an IP lawyer; else people will rip you of your labor. The IP lawyers help to ensure that your creative ideas are backed and protected. For example, if someone takes your song lyrics and makes a song out of it, you can sue them with the help of your IP lawyer. It is the work of these lawyers to help with copyrights, patents, trademarks, and more.
An IP lawyer earns around $52 hourly.
Medical Law
As a medical lawyer, you get to handle cases of people who have been treated unfairly by their health care providers. For example, your client may be unsatisfied with the services they receive from their health care provider and may want to seek justice. Or, your client reacted adversely to the treatment gotten from a healthcare provider. In such cases, a medical lawyer is whom they will contact to handle the case.
The minimum amount a medical lawyer will earn per hour is $40. However, some medical lawyers earn as high as $140 hourly.
Tax Lawyers
It is not wrong to say that this set of lawyers will always have jobs as long as people have to pay taxes. It is because there will always be tax disparities, and it is where these lawyers come to play.
As a tax lawyer, you need to have vast tax and accounting knowledge as you would always be going through business records and transactions.
The United States has some tough laws that surround tax payments, and it is easy for businesses or individuals to default when they do not understand these laws. However, having a tax lawyer makes the difference.
As a tax lawyer, you will earn nothing less than $40 hourly.
Criminal Law
Asides from the fact that this is one of the highest paying law professions; it is also the commonest field for lawyers.
Criminal lawyers are people who represent criminals in court. Or, we can say that they are always involved in criminal cases.
A criminal lawyer defends his client in court, making cases to prove that his client is innocent of the accusation. They are also involved in the negotiation of bail bonds and more.
A criminal lawyer will earn about $35 hourly.
Factors That Affect The Hourly Rates Of A Lawyer
Below are some factors that can determine how much a lawyer will earn:
1. Law School Attended: Although it is not ethical or morally correct, we see that it is one of the factors that determine how much a lawyer can earn. Some organizations usually give preference to someone who went to a high-ranking law school. They believe that such a person should earn more since they went to an expensive law school.
2. Region: The states you are residing in can also be a factor in how much you will earn as a lawyer. For example, lawyers in places like New York and California will earn higher than lawyers in other states. Montana and Arkansas serve as some of the states that pay lawyers the least.
3. Skills: It should be common knowledge that you have to indulge in personal development, even as a lawyer. So, it would not be wrong to take help online classes and get certifications. This way, you will get higher paychecks. For example, a person who went to a law school will earn higher than a person who stopped at only a law certificate
FAQs
Some of the frequent questions that people ask are:
What Are The Top Highest Paying Cities For Lawyer Jobs?
The USA pays lawyers well, but you will see that some cities are better than others. So, if you are a lawyer in the USA, you can target cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Jackson, etc. These cities are the best to practice your lawyer career as they pay excellently.
How Much Do Criminal Lawyers Make Per Hour?
A criminal lawyer can make as high as $48 per hour, depending on their level of expertise. But, of course, the more you advance in your professional career, the more you earn. However, the least amount a criminal lawyer will make is $35
Summary
Averagely, lawyers earn nothing less than $40 per hour. So, if the salary is your basis for choosing a career, you can decide to become a lawyer.
