Lawyer: career path and pay in the US
Where a Lawyer goes next, what each step typically pays in the United States, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 3 steps, from Associate Attorney to Partner / Senior Partner.
Also for the United Kingdom: Lawyer in the UK
The path
Step 1 · 0 to 3 years
Associate Attorney
$100K to $150K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Bar Admission - US, Solicitor/Barrister Qualification - UK/EU, Legal Practice Course (LPC) - UK/EU.
Step 2 · 3 to 8 years
Attorney / Senior Associate
$100K to $150K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Bar Admission - US, Solicitor/Barrister Qualification - UK/EU, Specialized Bar Certification (optional) - US.
Step 3 · 8+ years
Partner / Senior Partner
$220K to $330K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Bar Admission - US, Solicitor/Barrister Qualification - UK/EU, MBA (optional) - Global.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
24% → 24%
Stays level across the path. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
$100K to $150K → $220K to $330K
US estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US.
What the work involves
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
Education people bring
- Doctoral Degree: 77%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.: 23%
- Some College Courses: 0%
Job Zone 5, job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Other paths from here
More Legal paths in the US
Related occupations in O*NET: Judicial Law Clerks, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers, Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators, Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers.
Your own role
How exposed is your job, task by task? Free score in under a minute.
SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US, US national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to $5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.