More Than 1 in 3 Lawyers Are Women
America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
What do secretaries, teachers and nurses have in common?
They are mostly women and remain among the most popular occupations for women. Although women now account for nearly half the U.S. workforce and their presence is increasing in higher paid occupations — such as lawyers — women still earn less than men.
“Super earners” — workers whose yearly earnings exceed typical averages—drive much of the earnings differences between women and men. At mid-career, when earnings peak, the top 10 percent of female lawyers earn more than $300,000 a year, while the top 10 percent of male lawyers earn more than $500,000.