Is Law School Worth It? What the Pay Data Says, What It Costs and How to Decide

What the government data says

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a median annual wage of $159,670 for lawyers in May 2025 and about 863,700 lawyers employed in 2025, projected to reach 904,300 by 2035, a 5 percent rise. It expects about 28,700 openings a year, mostly from lawyers leaving the field or retiring. Legal services employ 52 percent of lawyers, self-employment 11 percent, local government 8 percent, state government 7 percent and the federal government 5 percent. A J.D. from an accredited school is the entry requirement.

Why the median misleads

A median mixes a partner at a large firm with a solo lawyer and a legal aid attorney. Starting pay is bimodal in a way an average hides: some graduates start at very high salaries at large firms, and many start far lower in small firms, government and public interest. Look at the school's own employment outcomes for your target school, not the national number.

Cost is the other half of the ledger

Add tuition, fees and living costs for three years, subtract scholarships, and count three years of income you do not earn. Then estimate the monthly loan payment on what you borrow. Our guide on paying for law school explains cost of attendance and scholarships, and our guide to ABA 509 disclosures shows where to find each school's employment and bar passage numbers.

Questions that decide it

Do you want the work lawyers do, day to day, and have you seen it up close? Can you get into a school where the price is reasonable relative to the job you want? What is your plan if you finish and do not get the job you targeted? Does a different path, such as a paralegal role, compliance, or a business degree, get you the goal at lower cost?

• Talk to three lawyers in the work you want, not only the most impressive ones.
• Compare two or three schools on net cost after scholarships, not sticker price.
• Check each school's bar passage and full-time, long-term legal job rates on its ABA disclosures.
• Decide the debt figure you will not exceed before you apply.

When the answer tends to be yes, and when to wait

It tends to be yes when the school is affordable or well funded, the career you want requires a law license, and your test scores and grades support admission to a school with strong outcomes in your market. Waiting a year to work, retake the LSAT or save is often a better choice than paying full price at a school with weak outcomes. If you are unsure, our guides to choosing a school and to the JD versus an MBA are the next step.