Introduction
Do you want a well-paying, satisfying job but aren’t cut out to be a doctor, computer scientist, or engineer? Then you probably need to get a law degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that the average lawyer makes $144,230 annually.
There are lawyers in California who earn way more than this. All because they decided to pursue a career as a lawyer. Do you want to know who the highest-paid lawyers in California are?
Are you interested in what affects a lawyer’s salary? This article contains all of these and much more. Let’s dive right in.
Read also: Top 10 Highest Paid Criminal Lawyers In 2022 | Best Countries
What Affects A Lawyer’s Salary in California?
Some factors affect lawyers’ pay. All of these go on to become why California’s highest-paid lawyers are so. So, here are some things that can affect your pay:
#1. What school do you go to
Getting into the best law schools in the United States is challenging. If you want to become one of the highest-paid lawyers in California, choose one of the top schools.
Attending a top law school will cost a lot (tuition will likely be more than $55,000 per year). However, there is a clear link between the school and how much money you can make as a lawyer.
Most recruiting for big law firms happens at schools where US News & World Report ranks highly. So your best bet is to be at one of those schools when the firms come looking for candidates.
#2. More prominent firms equal bigger paychecks
Your salary will largely depend on how big your law firm is. So, if you want to be one of the best-paid lawyers, you might want to aim for a job at a Biglaw firm.
Biglaw doesn’t have a definition, but it includes the private US firms with the most lawyers. About 20% of lawyers who work for private firms are usually thought to be in Biglaw. There is fierce competition for these jobs that pay well.
Firms compete for the best students from the best law schools, so the Cravath scale stays in place. If one company offers a higher salary, other companies usually do the same soon after.
The average starting salary for a lawyer outside of BigLaw is $73,000. Inside Biglaw, however, the starting salary goes up to $215,000. Which is 2.6 times the average salary outside of Biglaw and almost $10,000 more per month.
Biglaw lawyers don’t have the best quality of life, but that’s one of the reasons why they get paid so much. To be part of the highest-paid lawyers in California, you should consider more prominent firms.
You should see: How Much Does A Tax Lawyer Make?
#3. The state, city, or county where you work
Some of these have a connection. There are significant differences between states and even between cities. For example, in the high-paying state of California, there are different salaries in three of the larger cities:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA —$198,100
- Metropolitan Division of San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA: $189,660
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division — $189,150
#4. How long have you been in business
Since more people are going to law school than there are jobs, it’s getting harder to get a lawyer job. Let alone one of the good Biglaw jobs. Once you have a job, your pay goes up at a reasonable rate. People also value those with more job experience and tend to pay them more.
#5. Which type of law do you focus on
The type of law you practice greatly affects how much you get paid. You can see that some types of attorneys make much more than others.
This is because of the type of law they specialize in or focus on. These law specializations are the highest-paid lawyers in California. The different types and their pay are as follows-
- A patent attorney- $180,000
- Intellectual property (IP) lawyer- $162,000
- Trial lawyer- $134,000
- A tax lawyer- $122,000.
- Business lawyer- $115,000
- Employment and labor lawyer- $87,000
- Real Estate lawyer- $86 000
- Divorce lawyer- $84,000
- Immigration Lawyer- $84,000
- Estate attorney: $83,000
- Public Defender: $63,000
Read also: How Much Does A DUI Lawyer Cost?
Highest Paid Law Specialization In California
#1. Medical law
The best lawyer jobs in California are as a medical lawyer, which pays $170,881 annually. If you can’t or don’t want to become a doctor, you can still make a good living in the medical field as a medical lawyer.
These lawyers give their clients advice about medical law and related services. When you think of medical lawyers, the first thing that comes to mind is probably accidents.
However, these lawyers also work in other areas of healthcare law and personal injury law. It has of the highest-paid lawyers in California.
#2. Intellectual property lawyers-
IP lawyers make at least $160,972 a year. The services of Intellectual Property (IP) lawyers are in high demand, so they get paid well. Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are three parts of intellectual property law.
These types of lawyers keep up with them. I.P. lawyers are one of the highest-paid lawyers in California.
IP lawyers get paid so much because it can be hard to sort out IP facts. Often, these lawyers also have specialized training and knowledge in scientific or technical fields.
Most of the time, IP lawyers deal with patents that protect the rights of inventors. They keep copycat competitors away while the patent is still valid.
Have you read: How Much Does It Cost For A Child Custody Lawyer?
#3. Trial Lawyers
Trial lawyers make $134,086 a year. There is a wide range of pay for trial lawyers. Some are barely getting by, while others have a lot of money. But there’s no question that a lawyer who likes being in court can make a good living.
Successful trial lawyers need to know much about the law and be good at it. They also need to pay attention to small details that could change the outcome of their cases.
They need to keep up with new cases that could set a new standard. They should also have excellent verbal, written, and memory skills.
The best trial lawyers are sure of themselves, can persuade people, and can think quickly on their feet. These lawyers know how to come up with new plans on the spot when new evidence comes to light.
They also know how to work within the law and use past cases to change the outcome of their cases. Trial lawyers are one of the highest-paid lawyers in California.
#4. Tax Lawyers
Tax lawyers make $122,690 a year. Tax lawyers make $80,000 a year on the low end, and on the high end, they make $105,000 a year. However, most tax lawyers make close to $100,000 a year.
This kind of lawyer works for a business dealing with federal, state, or local taxing agencies.
Tax lawyers make legal documents and help come up with ways to save money on taxes. Of course, they must keep up with changes in the tax world and put them in place on time. As a good tax lawyer, you may become one of the highest-paid lawyers in California.
Read also: How Much Does A Tax Lawyer Cost in 2022
#5. Company Lawyers
Company lawyers make at least $98,822 per year. They are one of the highest-paid lawyers in California. Like trial lawyers, this category has many ways to make money.
Some corporate lawyers make less than some school teachers at the low end of the pay scale, which is $66,000. Still, the best corporate lawyers can make well over $100,000 a year.
A corporate lawyer advises clients about business deals that involve the law. Such as the sale of businesses, mergers, and acquisitions. This kind of lawyer makes a lot of contracts and reads through offers.
Make sure that the legalese is in the best interests of their clients, usually corporations and businesses. They also help people start new businesses, find venture capital, and sell and buy ownership interests.
Also, check out: 10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World| Top Law Careers in 2022
How Much Does the Average Lawyer In California Get Paid?
The tooltip gathered the average base salary for lawyers in California. In California, the average salary for a lawyer is $110,164 per year. As of July 14, 2022, there have been reports of 1,600 salaries. The salary is 22% above the national average. Breaking it down-
- Average of $110,164
- Low of $66,706
- High of $181,933
- Fewer than 12 months- $86,106
- One to two years- $99,471
- 3–9 years- $123,147
- Ten years or more- $142,367
You should see: 11 Top Government Careers With High Salary
Top companies in California for lawyers
- Latham and Watkins LLP
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Robert Half
- Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Intel Corporation
- Axiom Law
- Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
- Cadence Counsel
- Higbee & Associates
Also, check out: 10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World| Top Law Careers in 2022
Cities in California where lawyers make the most money
- Newport Beach, CA- $131,271 per year
- Sacramento, CA- $130,192 per year
- San Jose, CA- $126,039 per year
- San Francisco, CA- $119,915 per year
- Irvine, CA- $119,558 per year
You should see: Top 10 Highest Paid Criminal Lawyers In 2022 | Best Countries
Summary
Being a lawyer can be a satisfying and rewarding job, but some areas of the law make more money than others. If you’ve always wanted to be a public defender and help people, that’s great.
But know that you’ll have to live a simple life. It is the lowest-paying law field. Before law school, do your homework and start with the end in mind.
Also, check out: How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost? 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
Above the Law says that corporate lawyers make the most money out of all lawyers. Their average salary is $174,000. Corporate lawyers also often get a lot of perks, like big bonuses.
In California, which pays the most, the average salary of a lawyer is $171,550. It is about $83,000 more than the average salary of a lawyer in Montana, which pays the least.
San Francisco, CA. The best city for lawyers is San Francisco, which is at the top of the list. At $168,990, the median salary for lawyers here is the second highest in the world. This helps to make up for the high cost of living.
You must run your law firm like a business to make six figures. You went to law school because you thought it was a good job. But to break the seven-figure mark, you need to run your law firm like a business. Also, pay attention to a niche and identify your ideal target market.
Most lawyers, who are also called attorneys, are not rich. But many of them make a good living doing hard work
References
- bizjournals.com– Where lawyers earn the highest salaries
- biglawinvestor.com– Highest paid lawyers in California
- lawcrossing.com– Highest paid lawyers in California
- indeed.com– Attorney salaries in CA
- Image Link
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