The Salary Ranges for Criminal & Civil Law

The main difference between criminal and civil lawsuits is that in criminal cases, judgments can lead to fines and incarceration. Civil cases instead result in defendants paying fines or other damages to other parties. There are lawyers who specialize in both of these law fields, for either plaintiffs or defendants.

Criminal & Civil Lawyers Job Description

Criminal-case litigation begins when state or federal prosecutors charge defendants with crimes. These defendants are entitled to representation by lawyers, who analyze the facts and laws relevant to the case. The lawyers then advise their defendants about how to plead, and also work to negotiate plea bargains if any are offered through the prosecutor. If the case goes to trial, the criminal lawyer will represent the defendant.

When defendants cannot afford to hire private criminal defense lawyers, they will be represented by public defenders who work for the government. Depending on the type of case, these lawyers could be employed by county, state or federal entities. Civil lawyers are almost always private, unless they work pro bono through an agency like the American Bar Association.

Civil litigation pertains to lawsuits that do not have any criminal charges. These lawyers represent plaintiffs and defendants (individuals, businesses and agencies), when one party is suing the other for money or to force the other party to stop engaging in an activity. If either cannot pay for their representation, the government will not appoint one for them.

Criminal & Civil Lawyers Education Requirements

There are similar education requirements for both of these law career choices. While earning a bachelor’s degree, students can take the LSAT, a challenging exam that is a prerequisite for attending law school. Full-time law school students can usually complete their graduate studies in about three years, and then they take the state’s bar exam. advises that once law school graduates have that Juris Doctor degree, they need to obtain an attorney’s license. Following that, clinical experience, volunteer positions, internships and initial jobs with prosecutor offices and public defenders will be helpful. The state where the prospective criminal lawyer lives may also have certain requirements. details the educational background needed to become a civil defense attorney. These individuals must also have Juris Doctor degrees, as well as licenses. They can then gain valuable experience through the same methods as criminal defense lawyers. The website also mentions that lawyer candidates should have solid research, writing, analytical reasoning, critical thinking and negotiating skills.

Criminal & Civil Lawyers Industry

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics posted that there were 813,900 lawyer jobs in 2019, with the median pay being ​$122,960​ per year. The outlook for the coming decade was a 4 percent increase, with about 32,300 more jobs estimated to be available. According to, criminal defense lawyer salaries ranged from ​$76,513​ to ​$101,307​, and civil lawyer salaries ranged from ​$112,002​ and ​$155,119​.

Money Inc. lists the best areas of law to practice in, as far as earning power goes. At the top were medical lawyers, who average ​$150,881​, followed by intellectual property lawyers at ​$140, 972​. These were followed by trial lawyers (​$101,086​), tax attorneys (​$99,690​) and corporate lawyers (​$98,822​). Salaries can also increase based on experience and the size of the law firm or company.

Best Areas of Law to Practice

There are other areas of law as well, like employment, family law, estate planning and property law. The best areas of law to practice eventually depend on the individual’s skills and interests. Naturally, salary is a guiding factor, and when this is the priority, the higher-paying industry segments will be more appealing. Lawyer earnings also vary depending on what part of the country they live in, and areas like Washington, D.C., and New York City pay the most.