What Are the Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers?

When we start naming high-paying jobs, lawyers tend to be near the top of the list. The average lawyer in Florida makes about $92,000 a year, but income can vary wildly based on which area of law you specialize in. Lawyers in more demanding or higher-stakes fields tend to bring in more than lawyers dealing with less critical cases.

So what are the highest-paid lawyers, and how much can they bring in? Read on to discover the highest-paying law fields and how much each makes.

Things That Impact a Lawyer’s Income

Before we dive into the highest-paying fields of law, it’s important to note that there are several factors that can impact a lawyer’s income. 

Of course, the more education and experience a lawyer has, the more money they’re likely to make. Clients are paying for their expert advice, so the more expertise they have, the more valuable their services will be.

Geographical location can also greatly impact how much a lawyer makes. You won’t be surprised to learn that lawyers in southern California and Seattle make a lot more than attorneys in Mississippi and Alabama. Lawyers in big cities also tend to make more money than those in more rural areas.

Trial Lawyers

It may come as no surprise that trial lawyers are some of the highest-paid attorneys in the country. These lawyers represent their clients at trial, and attorneys specializing in civil litigation – such as personal injury or car accident cases – tend to make the most. 

On average, a trial lawyer makes between $99,000 and $119,000, depending on the factors we discussed.

Intellectual Property Lawyers

Intellectual property (IP) lawyers also tend to do very well since their role involves protecting their clients’ potentially lucrative ideas. These lawyers help clients defend their copyrights, patents, and trademarks (although they are different from patent attorneys, which we’ll discuss later).

IP lawyers usually make almost $130,000 and can make as much as $250,000 a year.

Tax Lawyers

Tax lawyers help their clients to stay in compliance with IRS regulations and ensure that their taxes are filed correctly. Getting on the wrong side of the IRS can be devastating – just ask Al Capone – and businesses will pay handsomely to make sure they’re in line with all the complex tax requirements. 

Tax lawyers often make between $100,000 and $195,000, depending on where they live and their experience.

Corporate Lawyers

Corporations – especially large and multinational companies – have a lot of assets to manage and complex regulations governing their operations. The lawyers they hire to keep them in compliance have enormous responsibility and no room for error, and they get paid well for their work. 

Corporate lawyers often make over $200,000 and may sometimes make more than $335,000.

Patent Lawyers

Although patent lawyers also help clients protect their intellectual property, they are different from IP lawyers. These attorneys guide their clients through the patent application process, which can be convoluted and often very high-stakes. 

Patent lawyers can make close to $150,000 a year, depending on where they work.

Family Lawyers

Family lawyers handle some of the most emotional and challenging cases in the legal system. They mediate divorce negotiations, handle custody arrangements, advocate in alimony and child support setups, and more. 

Family lawyers can make almost $130,000 a year from these cases.

Work with Lawyers Who Fight for You

Law can be an extremely lucrative career field, with some attorneys making north of $200,000 and the top earners occasionally breaking seven figures. Corporate and tax lawyers tend to be the highest earners, with patent and IP lawyers not far behind. Trial lawyers also pull down a lot of money, particularly in the civil litigation field.

Other lawyers are more motivated by getting justice for their clients than by collecting the largest possible paycheck. Our personal injury attorneys always keep our clients’ needs at the forefront, and to date, we have recovered almost $700 million in compensation claims. Schedule a free consultation with us today to discuss the details of your case.

Contact Clearwater, FL Personal Injury Lawyers At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg personal injury law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve in Pinellas County, and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765,
United States
24 hours
727-796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712,
United States
24 hours
(727) 349-1728