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How much do criminal lawyers make in a year?

On average, how much do lawyers typically make?

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SarahMiller’s Answer

Hi Brittany,


Here are different ways to be a criminal attorney, and the pay really varies depending on the role you take on. Some options for criminal lawyers include:



  1. Working as a public defender. Straight out of law school, you make around $45,000 per year. That increases over time, and after you have more than 10 years of experience, the average per year is over $70,000 per year.

  2. Working as a public prosecutor: starting out, you make around $50,000 per year. Again, this increases over time, and after 10 years of experience, the pay is around $80,000 per year.

  3. Criminal defense attorney with a private firm: you start out around $80,000, and after making partner (if you make partner) that can go much higher to $200,000 per year

  4. Criminal defense attorney in solo practice: this means you're probably self-employed but may have a financial partner. You can make around $100,000 per year if you're able to get clients

  5. Non-profit lawyer: some non-profit lawyers are involved in criminal law. Starting salary is around $40,000 per year, increasing with experience, up to over $80,000 after 10 years of experience.
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