Law ranks as fifth highest paying profession in the US

Despite the regular reports of a tightening job market for lawyers, and troubling reports that law students are unable to repay loans taken out to fund their tuition at law school, lawyering still offers monetary rewards near the top of the job market. CNBC has compiled a list of the 15 highest paying jobs in the US using information published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and lawyers came in at number five on the list, with an average salary of $130,490. This sum puts lawyers behind petroleum engineers (average salary of $138,980), chief executive officers (average salary of $176,550), orthodontists and dentists (average salary ranging from $161,750 to $204,670), and doctors and surgeons (average salary ranging from $168,650 to $234,950).

Law ranks as fifth highest paying profession in the US abovethelaw.com Wed, Jul 4, 2012