Top Law Schools

How do people survive on like $60k (or worse) in a big city like DC or NY?

Also which city, given the same salary, would a person's lifestyle be better in, DC or NY?

roommates, outer boroughs and the realization that you will never be able to own property where you are working. then again, big law people will probably never be able to buy in NYC either.

The same way most of the country does it.

It's very doable in DC--I worked on a 60k salary for several years before law school. Just need to find a reasonably priced living situation (<$1,500 is very doable) and and not be too wasteful. You'll still be able to take vacations, save, go out, etc.

If you have massive loans, that's a different story. But your school might have a good LRAP type program for that for PI type work.

60k = 42k after taxes


If you're using PLSF, consider it equal to a biglawlbro paying 54k/year into loans but without all the obligations to look like you have money


similar lifestyle to an indebted biglawyer in the short term, solid average income in the long term; it's not that bad (but yeah, no property owning in NYC/SF/etc)

$60k will go farther in DC than NY.

It's livable in NY. Get used to the notion that you can't live alone, though, and probably not in Manhattan.

I managed to live in midtown manhattan off $21k/year for a while. It was miserable, but possible.
On the whole, if you want to live off a PI salary, you'll be living in the outer boroughs, won't be taking taxis, won't be eating out a lot, or going to shows, won't have regular bar nights, etc.

But it's totally doable. Until you have kids.