Being An Attorney Is Almost As Good As Being A Middle School Teacher – Almost
In case you missed it in January (when the rankings were released), being an attorney is no longer a top 50 job in the nation, according to the U.S. News. The 2014 rankings dropped being a lawyer from #35 in 2013 to #51, placing it directly behind middle school teacher. Apparently spending all day with hormonal preteens is better than conducting legal counsel. The ranking put being an attorney directly in front of being a computer systems administrator.
Software developers topped this year’s list. Ironically, computer systems analyst came in at the number two spot. Rounding out the top five was dentist, nurse practitioner and pharmacist, respectively. Alas, the profession of journalism didn’t even make the list.
In the job satisfaction section, lawyers were rated as having below average opportunities for upward mobility, high levels of stress, and below average flexibility on the job. But being an attorney is often still seen as at least a semi-respectable position. If the lawyer is successful, the profession of law is glamorous. So, why so low, U.S. News?
The professions in the top 100 are first selected on projected job openings from 2012 to 2022 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The rankings are then compiled based on a score calculated from seven categories. Those categories are 10-year growth volume (10%), 10-year growth percentage (10%), median salary (30%), job prospects (20%), employment rate (20%), stress level (5%) and work-life balance (5%).
We all know how everyone feels about job growth and potential in the law profession. With nearly half of the weight falling on employment rates and job prospects, it kind of makes sense. And until those trends change, expect U.S. News to continually rank attorneys at or below this level. But, hey, at least attorneys are still higher than bill collectors and medical secretaries.
Source: JD Journal
Source: U.S. News
Video Of The Week: The Dos And Don’ts Of Law School
Source: UCLA Law
Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.