Lawyer Ranks Third as Top-Paying Job for Women, Forbes Says
Jobless law grads may have some misgivings about their career choice, but it’s still a good gig for women who want to earn big bucks, according to a magazine’s analysis of Labor Department statistics.
Forbes magazine ranked the 10 best-paying jobs for women based on 2009 statistics on full-time, salaried employees. Salaried women lawyers earned an annual median of $75,500 in 2009—a paycheck that nonetheless amounted to only 75 percent of the earnings of male lawyers, the magazine says.
Forbes listed the top five as:
1) Chief executive, with median earnings of $81,000 for women.
2) Pharmacist, with median earnings of $76,500 for women.
3) Lawyer, with median earnings of $75,500 for women.
4) Computer and information systems manager, with median earnings of $73,500 for women.
5) Computer software engineer, with median earnings of $68,000 for women.
Meanwhile, U.S. News & World Report includes lawyer on a list of seven jobs requiring a graduate degree that pay more than $100,000 a year. The publication cites 2009 Labor Department statistics showing the median annual salary for all lawyers is $113,000. Other jobs on its list include:
1) Dentist, with a median pay of $142,000.
2) Management consultant, with average pay of about $114,000, according to Glassdoor.com.
3) Petroleum engineer, with median pay of $109,000.
4) Family practice doctor, with median pay of $161,000 after residency.
5) Psychiatrist, with median pay of $160,000.
6) Financial manager, with median pay of $101,000.