25 of the Highest Paying Attorney Jobs in 2026

The best Attorney jobs can pay up to $196,500 per year.

High Paying Attorney Jobs

• Privacy Attorney

  Salary range: $132,500 - $196,500

  A privacy attorney is responsible for advising clients on their legal responsibilities regarding compliance with national and international privacy laws and data security. As a privacy attorney, you may work as counsel to a specific business or work for a firm that is contracted to provide these services for numerous clients. Your duties include drafting policies and contracts that conform to regulatory law, writing and reviewing company statements and privacy policies for customers, and handling the legal ramifications of privacy breaches or failures to comply with legal obligations.

• Chief Legal Officer

  Salary range: $125,000 - $195,500

  A chief legal officer (CLO) is an executive-level position that oversees a company’s legal team. As a chief legal officer, you advise the organization on all legal matters, such as contracts, compliance, and regulatory issues. Your job duties include investigating issues of non-compliance, suggesting measures to avoid legal risks, and representing the company as the chief litigator in court. You are also involved in hiring, training, and directing department lawyers through corporate legal proceedings.

• General Counsel

  Salary range: $108,500 - $190,000

  A general counsel, also known as a chief counsel or a Chief Legal Officer (CLO), acts as the primary legal advisor to the senior leadership board of a business or law firm. Like corporate attorneys, a general counsel is well versed in laws, regulations, and negotiating skills. However, unlike corporate lawyers, these specialists have a broader knowledge base and must be able to identify legal issues in a variety of industries, including engineering, marketing, finance, human resources, and business policy. CEOs depend on a general counsel to give confidential feedback and suggestions on firm cases and internal attorney activity.

• Bankruptcy Attorney

  Salary range: $76,500 - $187,000

  Bankruptcy attorneys help debtors file for bankruptcy, understand the legal proceedings surrounding bankruptcy, and manage their court petitions. Most bankruptcy attorneys focus on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies, which are the most common types of bankruptcy filings. They involve liquidation and wage earner plans. Some bankruptcy attorneys focus on the less common bankruptcy cases, such as Chapter 9 (municipal bankruptcy), Chapter 11 (corporate reorganization), Chapter 12 (farmers and fishermen), and Chapter 15 (ancillary or international cases). As a bankruptcy attorney, you occasionally need to travel to courts in different districts, depending on where your client's assets are and where they live.

• Corporate Counsel

  Salary range: $130,000 - $183,500

  As corporate counsel, your duties are to advise a business, corporation, or other large organization on all legal matters. This could include overseeing regulatory compliance, financial reporting, contract negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, or the litigation of lawsuits and internal worker complaints. As corporate counsel, you also have a significant number of duties related to public relations and interacting with internal and external stakeholders, such as shareholders and regulators. You often work in tandem with lawyers attached to other departments to ensure that you coordinate the company’s legal compliance efforts.

• Patent Attorney

  Salary range: $112,000 - $175,000

  As a patent attorney, you work with clients to protect their inventions and intellectual property, ensuring that they have exclusive rights to it for a period. You may be asked to file patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to protect your client’s right to market and manufacture a product. You may also appear in court to settle disputes over patents and protect your client’s rights and profits.

• In House Counsel

  Salary range: $118,500 - $172,000

  Businesses hire lawyers as in-house counsel to oversee legal matters in the company. In-house counsel, also called corporate counsel, may consist of one attorney or a large legal department, depending on the size of the organization. These attorneys provide legal advice on a variety of issues that affect the company, including employment, taxes, and other regulations. Unlike lawyers at a big firm that specialize in certain types of law, in-house counsel needs to have a broad understanding of many different types of legal codes. Corporations usually outsource litigious cases to law firms, so in-house counsel also oversees the work of the outside attorneys.

• Real Estate Attorney

  Salary range: $91,500 - $171,500

  Real estate attorneys, also known as property real estate attorneys, are lawyers who specialize in real estate related legal matters. Property buyers and sellers often rely on real estate attorneys during the closing process on real estate deals and when real estates disputes arise. During real estate transactions, a real estate attorney draws up purchase agreements, title documents, and mortgage contracts. All documentation must be thoroughly reviewed and audited by the real estate attorney to ensure accuracy. In the case of a real estate dispute, such as line lot problems, contract disagreements, or chain of title discrepancies, a real estate attorney steps in to mediate. Issues that are not resolved through mediation go to court, where the real estate attorney represents their client.

• Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney

  Salary range: $134,000 - $170,500

  As a mergers and acquisitions attorney, your responsibilities revolve around providing legal guidance and advice for a company that is merging with or acquiring another company. You provide legal advice and mediate negotiations before the merge and ensure that all finalizing paperwork is completed in full and filed with the appropriate agencies. You ensure the parties involved meet all regulatory requirements while merging with, absorbing, or acquiring one another. In some situations, you may represent a company during legal proceedings related to a merger.

• Employment Attorney

  Salary range: $102,000 - $170,500

  An employment attorney is a lawyer that specializes in cases that involve employees, employers, and employment-related issues. In this role, you are responsible for advising your clients on the various employment regulations and alerting them to illegal activity. Your job duties include representing employers at Equal Employment Opportunities Commission hearings and advising on issues related to the National Labor Relations Board. The qualifications needed for a career as an employment attorney include a law degree, experience with employment law, and excellent communication and negotiation skills.

• Deputy General Counsel

  Salary range: $111,500 - $167,000

  The general counsel of a company is the lead attorney in a company or organization. A deputy general counsel is second-in-command, helping the general counsel oversee the other lawyers in the department and provide legal advice to cases affecting the business. As a deputy general counsel, your job duties include conducting legal research, preparing legal documents, reviewing contracts, and appearing in court for legal proceedings. You report directly to the general counsel. Attorneys aspiring to become a deputy general counsel typically work in the business sector for several years before moving into this career.

• Regulatory Attorney

  Salary range: $100,000 - $166,000

  As a regulatory attorney, you ensure that your clients follow all regulations relevant to their industry. Your primary duties involve advising clients on business transactions, analyzing laws and regulations, and assisting with legal counsel. You may also represent your clients in court and specialize in an industry, such as renewable energy, telecommunications, or pharmaceutical. Some regulatory attorneys work for a company, government agency, or organization while others work in private practice. To pursue a career as a regulatory attorney, you must earn a bachelor’s degree, complete law school, and pass the state bar exam. Additional qualifications include work experience at a law firm and excellent analytical, research, and communication skills.

• Workers Compensation Attorney

  Salary range: $100,000 - $163,500

  A workers’ compensation attorney helps employees injured on the job get benefits during their recovery period when they can not work. As a workers’ compensation lawyer, you have a strong background in workers’ compensation law and medical insurance and know how to file and pursue claims against an employer. The goal is to secure the most benefits possible for your client. You interview witnesses, gather data and information related to a claims case, and prepare arguments and documentation to go to court when an employer chooses not to settle a claim.

• Insurance Attorney

  Salary range: $106,000 - $159,000

  An insurance attorney represents either insurance companies or insurance policyholders in claim disputes or settlement proceedings. An insurance company hires lawyers to minimize the amount of money they must pay out for claims and settlements, while policyholders hire attorneys to maximize the amount of money they receive from the insurance company. As an insurance attorney, you may work for an insurance company directly or indirectly through a law firm. Your duties typically include investigating cases, compiling evidence, and overseeing new contracts. The qualifications for a career as an insurance lawyer are a law degree and a state license to practice law. As you gain job experience and hone your negotiating skills, you can take on cases worth greater sums of money.

• Tax Attorney

  Salary range: $83,000 - $158,000

  As a tax attorney, you help your clients resolve tax-related legal issues. Your responsibilities may include assisting clients with audits and debt relief as well as interacting with IRS agents. As a tax lawyer, your job duties include doing research, conducting interviews and investigations, and explaining complicated tax laws and regulations to your clients. A career as a tax lawyer requires in-depth knowledge of local, state, and federal tax laws. You need strong interpersonal skills to communicate with clients and government agencies. Your job may include long hours and occasional travel.

• Environmental Attorney

  Salary range: $94,000 - $157,000

  Environmental law includes a wide range of issues pertaining to the use and protection of the natural environment, such as water and air quality, species protection, land management, and alternative energy sources. Environmental attorneys work for private firms or government agencies and handle cases within these areas. As an environmental attorney, you need to follow all rules and regulations that may affect your company or the government agency you work for. Sustainability is a growing field, with new legislation being regularly produced, so the demand for environmental attorneys is expected to increase.

• Securities Attorney

  Salary range: $117,000 - $149,000

  A securities attorney handles legal matter related to the financial assets of a client. As a securities attorney, you typically specialize in regulatory, transactional, or litigation work. Your job duties vary by your specialization. Regulatory lawyers deal with investment laws and regulations, transactional lawyers deal with acquisitions and mergers for a company, and those involved in litigation represent their clients in court for financial disputes or lawsuits. Qualifications to pursue the career include a law degree from an accredited school and extensive experience in financial law. You must also pass the bar exam for your state to receive the proper licensure.

• Civil Litigation Attorney

  Salary range: $99,500 - $144,500

  A civil litigation attorney is a lawyer who specializes in civil trial law. In this career, your job duties are to build a case that seeks monetary damages rather than criminal prosecution and prosecute the case in court. You also file pre-trial casework, oversee depositions, and you may facilitate legal arbitration between the two parties rather than seek a trial. The qualifications for this career include negotiation skills, experience in the courtroom, and a law degree. You must be a member of the bar association in your state and have an excellent grasp of civil law.

• Personal Injury Attorney

  Salary range: $89,500 - $139,000

  Personal injury attorneys specialize in laws that deal with injury or death caused by another person’s neglect or malice. In this career, you represent your your clients in personal injury cases, such as car accidents or medical malpractice. Your responsibilities include collecting evidence, assessing the damage, and working to get a fair settlement for your client. Private practices and large firms have positions for personal injury attorneys.

• Contract Attorney

  Salary range: $89,500 - $139,000

  A contract attorney conducts research, prepares legal documents, and represents clients in a court of law. Contract attorneys are not permanent employees of law firms; they handle cases on behalf of law firms on a case-by-case basis. Much like standard attorneys, contract attorneys may specialize in a specific legal area, such as corporate law, family law, or criminal law. Law firms expect contract attorneys to uphold the same legal standards as traditional attorneys.

• Attorney General

  Salary range: $78,500 - $132,000

  An Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer to the government. The United States Attorney General is a Cabinet member and the head of the Department of Justice. Each state also has its own Attorney General. Attorneys General are either elected or appointed to their position. Job duties include providing legal counsel and representing the government in legal matters. They are also responsible for overseeing the enforcement of laws and prosecuting violators as the head of a Department of Justice. Departments of Justice typically include different divisions, for instance, criminal, civil, and law enforcement divisions. Many positions exist working under an Attorney General at the state and federal Departments of Justice, including attorneys, investigators, researchers, law enforcement officers, and paralegals. Support roles are also available, for example, in information technology and office administration.

• Associate Attorney

  Salary range: $80,000 - $130,000

  Associate attorneys are early career lawyers who work for law firms to gain experience and hone their skills after completing law school and passing the bar exam for their state. Under the guidance of an experienced attorney or a partner in the firm, associate attorneys assist with cases by conducting legal research and writing reports, legal briefs, and other documents. Associate attorneys also negotiate with colleagues from other law firms, participate in jury selection, and help argue cases in court.

• Legal Advisor

  Salary range: $92,000 - $128,000

  A legal advisor advises their clients about the legality of actions they take and provides guidance and support for important decisions. Your responsibilities in this career may include representing an individual, organization, or government in court with claims. Most legal advisors have a professional background as a lawyer, and if you do represent your clients in court, you must pass your state’s bar exam. You can either find employment as freelance legal counsel or as part of a team at an agency.

• Family Law Attorney

  Salary range: $78,000 - $122,500

  A family law attorney is a licensed lawyer who works in the broad field of family law. In this legal specialty, your job duties may include handling divorce, child custody, or annulment casework. In addition to marriage-related law, you may work on cases involving children, such as helping with adoption proceedings, getting visitation rights for a parent after a divorce, or proving paternity. Your clients may include a spouse in a divorce case, a family, or a guardian who represents children in a family legal matter.

• Health Care Attorney

  Salary range: $65,500 - $120,000

  As a health care attorney, your duties are to advise hospitals and physicians on how to maintain compliance with all federal health care laws that dictate their industries. These include the Stark Law, which bars physicians from self-referral, the Anti-kickback Statute, which prevents exchanging referrals for monetary gain, the False Claims Act, EMTALA, which mandates medical care facilities provide treatment regardless of ability to pay, and numerous patient privacy laws, such as HIPAA. Your responsibilities require you to work with other compliance professionals to audit hospital and physician operations and help the facility address any violations to statutes.