High paying fields Forum

[JazzOne]

[Renzo]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

[JazzOne]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

I just think it looks pretty, especially that big ivory tower on the right. Avert your eyes from the rabble on the left, and focus on the vast expanse that is midlaw.

[Xiaolong]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

[scionb4]

If you become a prostitute, you won't have a high paying field per se but you would have a very high paying bush.

[reasonable_man]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

You know nothing.

[potato head]

btw, pharm school is six years

pharmacy school is usually a 4 year program in the US.

doctors definitely don't make 6 figures straight out of graduation. they make ~$45,000 anywhere from 3 to 7 years post-graduation, depending on residency speciality. added to this, they work on average 80 hours per week.

[nicdmx]

Scientific researchers don't generally make 100k+.
Most "businessmen" don't make 100k+

edit: this post also wreaks of somebody with no out of school work experience.

Most lawyers don't make 100K+ either. What's your point?

No kidding, read the post I was responding to to get my point. Jesus.

[potato head]

pharmacy school is usually a 4 year program in the US.

doctors definitely don't make 6 figures straight out of graduation. they make ~$45,000 anywhere from 3 to 7 years post-graduation, depending on residency speciality. added to this, they work on average 80 hours per week.

having said this, if you have enough foresight, you can go to nursing school straight out of high school (4 year program for a "BSN"), take two years to specialize as a nurse anesthetist, and you'll be making more than pharmacists & some doctors.

[brianmck16]

Have you considered starting a church for cats?

[UFMatt]

High-end: these jobs pay six figures, but tend to require great talent and an even greater work ethic. I'm talking about physicians, scientific researchers (once they pull in grants), high-end lawyers, and businessmen.

Mid-level: these jobs can crack six figures and tend to be a bit more formulaic than the high-end jobs. I'm talking about engineers, pharmacists, physicians assistants, and specialized nurses (e.g. nurse anaesthetists). Veterinarians could be included in this group, despite the demanding education, solely due to the fact that they're typically underpaid.

Other: for good pay ($60k ish) with shockingly little formal education, it seems hard to beat nursing. If you're willing to work weekends and nights, you can get paid a fortune in overtime. Computer scientists might also be lumped into this category (only bachelors is required and is very portable).

Scientific researchers don't generally make 100k+.
Most "businessmen" don't make 100k+

edit: this post also wreaks of somebody with no out of school work experience.

Wreaks? Dictionary.com. Technically, I don't have much out of school work experience, considering I've been a faculty member at my university for a few years now.

Next time you try to dump on my post, learn to read what I actually wrote. Scientific researchers, when they pull in grants, can earn well into the six figures. Base pay is often ~$70k. Pull in an R01 and you're already pushing $100k. Hit it big time with program project grants, and you can hit a quarter million. If you were involved in this line of work, you might have known this.

[Renzo]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

See you in three years when you're sucking off Reasonable_Man to get some contract doc work thrown your way.

[scionb4]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

See you in three years when you're sucking off Reasonable_Man to get some contract doc work thrown your way.

Snap, son, that was harsh.

[sayan]

This is for first-year associate salaries, right?

[Renzo]

This is for first-year associate salaries, right?

Correct. But it's first-year salaries reported to NALP, which skews it a bit toward big firms.

[Xiaolong]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

See you in three years when you're sucking off Reasonable_Man to get some contract doc work thrown your way.

Again, its all doom and gloom for you. Instead assuming that I'll be serving coffee at Starbucks to Reasonable Man you mak up these totally exaggerated scenarios.

[reasonable_man]

You won't be serving me starbucks; I have much higher standards for my baristas.

Instead of dismissing what is being said as 'doom and gloom;' why not ask some probative questions on the issue?

No offense, but as compared to some of the older posters on this site (myself included), you know absolutely nothing about the legal employment market and the way numbers released by NALP and LSs are fudged. This is evidenced by the fact that you lend anything more than a passing bit of credibility to the numbers released by the NALP. But ya know what... If you ask some questions, you might learn something, instead of simply assuming that you know better.

[Renzo]

You won't be serving me starbucks; I have much higher standards for my baristas.

Instead of dismissing what is being said as 'doom and gloom;' why not ask some probative questions on the issue?

No offense, but as compared to some of the older posters on this site (myself included), you know absolutely nothing about the legal employment market and the way numbers released by NALP and LSs are fudged. This is evidenced by the fact that you lend anything more than a passing bit of credibility to the numbers released by the NALP. But ya know what... If you ask some questions, you might learn something, instead of simply assuming that you know better.

Actually, s/he thinks the NALP numbers are too pessimistic. I couldn't even convince him/her that even if they were accurate they were terrible, much less how much they bias towards big firms and top schools.

[Sogui]

People who think Big Law isn't dead should listen to some of the posters in this thread. Stop comparing the statistics from 2008. That economy will never return.

I stopped reading there.

I'm not a lawyer yet, hell I'm not even a law student yet...

But throwing out absolute statements, ALWAYS, NEVER, ETC... without even the slightest evidence to back it up, and with even more evidence to the contrary, just sets off a 5-alarm bullshit meter in my head.

[JazzOne]

(posts bimodal graph)

Yeah, Xiaolong's argument is that somehow that doesn't apply to T50 grads, even though most NALP statistics are way over-representative of top schools, and are not pessimistic enough for most TTT schools whose grads don't really have a shot in hell at a NALP firm.

You really like distorting things, don't you? The graph shows a median income of 72000$. How is that in tune with you claims (and I am paraphrasing here) that the VAST majority of lawyers make 40K a year out of law school. Its hard to figure out, but I belive the 25% percentile is somewhere around the 50K mark in the graph.

Its no use arguing with you because everything is doom and gloom for you. I really don't want to be in your shoes because every day of LS must be pure agony for you thinking about class rank and how your life is totally and absolutely fucked if you don't end up above median. Enjoy your self created misery for the next three years. I am out!

What percentage of first-year lawyers earn $50K/year? Now compare that figure to the percentage of first-year lawyers who earn median salary. There are 2.5 times as many lawyers making $50K than median! The legal market sucks.

[JazzOne]

Pre-ITE, how were people getting jobs that pay more than market? What kind of job pays $200K right out of the gate?

[James Bond]

Pre-ITE, how were people getting jobs that pay more than market? What kind of job pays $200K right out of the gate?

From what I've heard, it was mostly people who had prior experience and most likely expertise. IP lawyers, tax lawyers, stuff like that. Remember, just out of law school doesn't meant just out of undergrad AND law school.

[bahama]

Pre-ITE, how were people getting jobs that pay more than market? What kind of job pays $200K right out of the gate?

Total speculation here but it could be some people reporting their bonus plus salary. I'm not sure how the questions were phrased but different respondents may have had different interpretations.

[therealfp]

I am thoroughly enjoying this forum, so much animosity.

I'll play the voice of reason here...Everyone needs to understand that getting a job, regardless of your credentials and/or industry, is more about working hard (both in school and out of school), networking to get interviews, and killing those interviews.

I've been out of school working as an engineer for less than 3-years, and I've been able to leverage my academic backround and fairly limited experience into a salary growth rate of about 16% year-to-year. Now I'm in a position where I can afford to go to law school, which is something I've always wanted to do, and I have solid experience to fall back on if law school doesn't deliver.

I could share anecdotes about friends who have had parallel experiences in many other industries. The point is, everyone should focus less on what they think they could/should/might/won't make coming out of law school, and focus more on doing the right things right now that will pay off 3 years down the road.

...not to be a dad or anything...

[UFMatt]

I am thoroughly enjoying this forum, so much animosity.

I'll play the voice of reason here...Everyone needs to understand that getting a job, regardless of your credentials and/or industry, is more about working hard (both in school and out of school), networking to get interviews, and killing those interviews.

I've been out of school working as an engineer for less than 3-years, and I've been able to leverage my academic backround and fairly limited experience into a salary growth rate of about 16% year-to-year. Now I'm in a position where I can afford to go to law school, which is something I've always wanted to do, and I have solid experience to fall back on if law school doesn't deliver.

I could share anecdotes about friends who have had parallel experiences in many other industries. The point is, everyone should focus less on what they think they could/should/might/won't make coming out of law school, and focus more on doing the right things right now that will pay off 3 years down the road.

...not to be a dad or anything...

Well said. Hard work and networking.

I'm the life science equivalent here. Nice to know I can always fall back on this career if, for whatever reason, I'm unable to find a legal job.