Lawyer Pay
Lawyers Rank 17th on Forbes List of Top-Paying Jobs
Posted May 19, 2008, 04:49 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The average pay for lawyers is $118,280, putting the job 17th on a Forbes list of top-earning jobs.
Medical specialists dominate the top nine spots on the list. Anesthesiologists, with an average salary of $192,780, were first on the list. Surgeons were second, with an average salary of $191,410. Chief executives were 10th, and airline pilots were 11th.
Lawyers lamenting their 17th-place ranking should note that the job pays more than that of Berkshire Hathaway's CEO. Warren Buffett pays himself only $100,000 a year, notes Legal Blog Watch, which posted the Forbes list.
The lowest-paid employees are those who cook, prepare and serve in fast-food restaurants, according to a companion Forbes story. They earn an average of $16,700.
The Forbes list is drawn from a government survey. It is based on questions about basic pay, incentive bonuses and commissions. It does not include partners in unincorporated firms.
Meanwhile, lawyers do better on a list of the top jobs for introverts, ranking in sixth place.
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