8TH MOST PAYING CAREER IN AMERICA

No.8 Lawyers and judges
Median salary: $113,000
Training time: 7 years

The legal system is tied into nearly every aspect of our society -- and there is no shortage of attorney classifications to which you can aspire. We are all familiar with personal injury and criminal attorneys, but the variety of lawyers reaches far beyond that. Environmental law, entertainment law, family law, real estate law, intellectual property, and civil law are a handful of the fields that need lawyers. Some attorneys choose to specialize in a particular industry, such as construction, waste management, securities or insurance, while others will review agreements, represent the court or mediate. Later on in their careers, some lawyers will sit as judges.



The industry is highly regulated and adheres to a stringent code of ethics. Lawyers must pass the bar examination offered by the state in which they wish to practice. In most cases, to be eligible to sit for the bar, you must have a four-year degree and have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, which takes about three years.