doctor or lawyer which is better

by Josh Ebert 8 min read

Therefore, a doctor just starting out would be at the lower end of the doctors' list, while an experienced lawyer with a good reputation would be at the higher end of the lawyers' list, possibly with a salary greater than the doctors'.

According to the BLS, medical doctors which include both medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) earned an annual median salary of $208,000 per year in 2016. Lawyers, according to the BLS, had an annual median salary of $118,160 in 2016, a significant difference between them of $89,840.

Full Answer

What is the difference between a doctor and a lawyer?

Therefore, a doctor just starting out would be at the lower end of the doctors' list, while an experienced lawyer with a good reputation would be at the higher end of the lawyers' list, possibly with a salary greater than the doctors'.

Do lawyers make more money than doctors and engineers?

However, while the BLS lists a general salary for lawyers, the pay for doctors and engineers varies greatly by specialty. As a general rule, doctors earn the highest salaries in the country. Anesthesiologists are the top earners with an annual mean wage of $232,800, while surgeons are in second place with $230,540.

What are some jobs that are tougher than being a lawyer?

There are certainly a number of jobs that are tougher than being a lawyer (it's still a well-paying office job at the end of the day), but there's no profession where so many highly-educated people are incompatible with the job they're asked to perform, and it's this mismatch that breeds unhappiness. , Physician. Visual artist. Hybrid athlete.

Should I get a law degree or a medical degree?

Despite the high costs and years out of the labor force, graduate degrees in medicine and law are still good bets. You have an excellent chance of out-earning a BA, though it is no guarantee. Top-earning BAs earn more than the average lawyer or doctor.

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Are doctors more successful than lawyers?

To the surprise of some, the reality is that the discrepancy is not even close. Specifically, the average doctor makes $208,000 per year, while the average lawyer makes $118,160.

Are doctors or lawyers smarter?

A recent analysis (via KevinMD) of average IQs of individuals in certain professions revealed that doctors have a mean IQ of almost 10 points higher than lawyers.

Is becoming a lawyer easier than Doctor?

In short, medical school is hands-on and requires a lot of memorization. Law school requires analytical work and critical thinking. Law school requires heavy reading and writing while medical school requires learning about problems through clinical studies and hands-on training.

Which is better MBBS or LLB?

Above two personalities are completely different-MBBS is science oriented and LLB is basically humanist oriented or rather in law profession a person with a LLB should have trend to know more about any subject if the situation demand as Lawyer have to study case for giving legal benefit to her/is clients- so s/he ...

Is law harder than medicine?

it's definately a lot easier to get on a law degree than medicine. medicine is also a much longer degree and requires a more dedication (although to do well in law you obviously need to be really hardworking too).

Who are richer doctors or lawyers?

However, according to data analysts, doctors are more paid than lawyers. Average a doctor gets an amount of $208,000 per year, while the average lawyer makes $118,160. Further, the data shows that 10% of lawyers only make a salary of $56,910. It is also a fact that experienced lawyers are making more money.

Is law better than medicine?

A law degree is better if you want to practice law; a medical degree is better if you want to practice medicine. Originally Answered: Should I pursue law or medicine? Depends on your abilities and passions. You could always study both, if money were no object.

Are most lawyers rich?

Most lawyers earn more of a solid middle-class income," says Devereux. You probably will be carrying a large amount of student loan debt from law school, which is not at all ideal when you're just starting out in your career. "Make sure you only become a lawyer if you actually want to work as a lawyer.

How much do lawyers make?

The top 10 percent of lawyers earned over $208,000, according to the BLS, while the bottom 10 percent had a median salary of $56,910. Those in the bottom 10 percent are most likely either first-year lawyers or working in a small town in business for themselves. Lawyers in law firms tend to earn more than those who work alone.

How much do medical doctors make?

According to the BLS, medical doctors which include both medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) earned an annual median salary of $208,000 per year in 2016. Lawyers, according to the BLS, had an annual median salary of $118,160 in 2016, a significant difference between them of $89,840. The difference alone is more than twice the average salary in the U.S., which was $37,040 in 2016. For $89,000, you can buy a house in many parts of the country or a new Mercedes and BMW, loaded, for you and your significant other. Or, you could take a lavish vacation every single month of the year. So, if median salaries were the only items compared, you should be a doctor for sure. It's a no-brainer.

How much do family practice physicians make?

That means there are just as many earning more than that number as there are earning less than that number. So it's reasonable to assume there are lawyers making more than $250,000 and family practice physicians earning less than $200,000.

How much does an anesthesiologist make?

What does all this add up to? Basically, there are a lot of different ways to compare salaries. For example, an anesthesiologist earning $453,687 compared with one of the lowest-paid lawyers at $56,910, is a shocking difference. But it isn't a fair comparison because an anesthesiologist, even one just starting out, has already spent years practicing as an intern and resident and more years in the specialty. A recent law school grad can expect a job clerking for a judge or researching for more senior lawyers rather than serving as the main lawyer on a case.

Is a doctor more than a lawyer?

At first glance, it seems easy to determine that a medical doctor is paid much more than a lawyer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gives median salaries for both doctors and lawyers, so it's clear that the doctors' number is higher.

Why do people choose law school over medical school?

In the end, many still opt to enter the legal field because they have an interest in the law, they want to help individuals through a difficult times in their life or for other noble reasons. If these are the reasons an individual chooses law school over the medical school, most individuals will not regret it. However, if the decision is one based on finances, the statistics show that many lawyers will be disappointed.

How much does a doctor make a year?

To the surprise of some, the reality is that the discrepancy is not even close. Specifically, the average doctor makes $208,000 per year, while the average lawyer makes $118,160. These average numbers take doctors and lawyers who are in the peak of their careers — meaning that those just starting out do not take this amount.

Is student loan debt a problem for law school graduates?

They might not have looked at the data on average salaries before making this decision. Student loan debt is also another significant issue for law school graduates.

Is medical school easy?

There is something about medical or law school that attracts many individuals to contemplate one career or the other. Obviously, the decision is relatively easy for many individuals. Some are scientifically or medically minded such that medical school is the easy choice. Others might not be scientifically minded at all, but they enjoy the law, ...

Is law school an easy choice?

Others might not be scientifically minded at all, but they enjoy the law, and so law school is an easy choice. But for some individuals, they might have an affinity for both. They might reasonably have the ability to be a good doctor or a good lawyer.

Does JD Supra use automatic decision making?

Please note that JD Supra does not use "automatic decision making" or "profiling" as those terms are defined in the GDPR.

Do doctors get paid hourly?

But doctors have an incentive to work fast. They don’t get paid hourly. In fact, when they spend more time with someone it reduces their economic productivity.

Do lawyers have to work at night?

I guess both doctors and lawyers must take their work home at night. But when you are a doctor and someone is in the hospital, you must field calls from nurses all night. Lawyers don’t really have the same sort of torture and can sleep.

Do lawyers get paid more for longer cases?

One final note is that I think it is interesting that the payment mechanism in law has not changed. Lawyers continue to get paid exorbitant hourly wages. The more senior attorney you are the higher your hourly rate. Lawyers get paid more for longer cases or more complicated ones. And most importantly, there is no incentive for lawyers to make things short and sweet — doing so decreases their billable hours.

Is medicine harder than law?

I’ve always felt that doctors worked harder than lawyers. That medicine is a profession with no restrictions to work hours and that law is a corporate type of job with restrictions. I understand that in every profession there are difficult and less difficult specialties. Radiologists, physiatrists, and dermatologists are all doctors but they definitely don’t work as hard or as long of hours as surgeons, traumatologists, or intensivists. Similarly, litigators are under a lot of stress and must work after hours to prepare for cases. If clients get in trouble after hours, they must attend to them. On the other hand, there are contract lawyers that review contracts and don’t spend time in front of judges or juries. So in both professions there are those that work hard and long hours.

Salaries for Doctors

As a general rule, doctors earn the highest salaries in the country. Anesthesiologists are the top earners with an annual mean wage of $232,800, while surgeons are in second place with $230,540. Obstetricians and gynecologists make $216,760, while oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the highest paid dental surgeons at $216,440.

Salaries for Engineers

At $147,470, petroleum engineers are the highest paid engineers, ranking 16th out of the top twenty highest salaries. However, they are the only engineers in the top twenty. Nuclear engineers are a distant second with $107,140, while aerospace engineers are the third highest engineering specialists, earning $104,810 annually.

Salaries for Lawyers

Lawyers barely made the list of the top twenty salaries in the country. At $130,880, they were in 19th place. They are paid less than most doctors, but more than all of the engineers – except petroleum engineers.

Educational Requirements

The educational requirement for doctors is a medical degree and three to eight years of residencies and internships, depending on the specialty area. Lawyers must complete three years of law school to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.). Engineers need a bachelor’s degree in their specialty area.

Job Outlook

The BLS projects a 24-percent increase in demand for physicians and surgeons through 2020, which is faster than the 14-percent average growth rate predicted for other U.S. occupations. However, the demand for lawyers is only projected to increase by 10 percent through 2020. The job outlook for engineers varies by specialty.

Can you earn a lot in a range of professions?

Bottom line? You can earn quite a bit in a range of professions… but you may need to up-skill in order to get there.

Do lawyers make more than technologists?

Based on this data, it’s clear that lawyers and doctors make more than technologists, at least based on mean hourly and annual salary data. Putting aside the BLS data for a moment, we can also revisit this crowdsourced spreadsheet that drew a lot of attention at the beginning of the year, which shows that folks at top financial firms (such as Goldman Sachs) and consulting firms (such as McKinsey) can earn substantial salaries that match or surpass what even top earners make in medicine and management consulting.

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