Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, or government agencies on legal issues or disputes. The Mean Annual wage of lawyers reported was $112,760 in May 2010. Verified in November of 2012 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Mean Annual salary for lawyers grew to $129,440. That’s about $62.23 hourly.
Judges, mediators, and hearing officers apply the law to court cases and oversee the legal process in courts. They also resolve administrative disputes and facilitate negotiations between opposing parties. Most judges, mediators, and hearing officers are employed by local, state, and federal governments. Most work in courts. The majority work full time. The Mean Annual wage of judges, mediators, and hearing officers was $91,880 in May 2010 and has grown to $66,460.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. They may sentence defendants in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. The judge may determine liability of defendant in civil cases. They also may perform wedding ceremonies.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a Mean Annual wage of $105,390, which is an hourly mean of $50.67. States with the highest employment level in this occupation are New York, Texas, California, Georgia and Florida, where the Annual Mean wage is $129,740.
Court reporters attend legal proceedings and public speaking events to create word-for-word transcriptions. Some court reporters provide captioning for television and at public events. Most court reporters work onsite for the government, in courts and legislatures. However, some work remotely in broadcast captioning from either their home or a central office. The Mean Annual wage for court reporters was $47,700 in May 2010. Employment of court reporters has been expected to grow by 14 percent from 2010 to 2020. As of 2012, the Mean Annual wage has grown to $53,270, which is $25.61 hourly.
Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. The Mean Annual wage of paralegals and legal assistants was $46,680 in May 2010. Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is expected to grow as well.
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