What Lawyers Earn

There are a few myths to explore with regard of lawyers' fees. According to the ABA Journal, Vol. 105, No. 7, September/October 2019, private lawyers earn an average of $144,230 per year. But this wealth is not being shared equally, across gender, region of the USA, client type and practice area.

Outside the for-profit legal market, public defenders, prosecutors, legal aid and non-profit attorneys are making significantly less. A first year public defender receives between $48,000 and $58,300 per year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average wage for all occupations was $51,960.

Bankruptcy attorneys average $140,000 while personal injury lawyers average $250,000