Education Analysis

Education Requirements for Lawyers

Does degree level affect salary? Based on education data in DOL PERM (green card) filings.

Salary by Education Level

What the Data Shows

For Lawyers positions, filings requiring a Master's degree carried an average declared salary of $138,331 versus $161,053 for those requiring a Bachelor's - a premium of -14.1%. Across all certified filings with a stated education level, 3.7% accepted a Bachelor's degree as the minimum requirement.

Education vs Salary

Education LevelAverage SalaryFilings% of Total
Other$188,20595781.9%
Doctorate$166,654484.1%
Bachelor's$161,053433.7%
Master's$138,33111810.1%
None$118,30830.3%

Education by Top Employer

EmployerMost Common Minimum% Bachelor's% Master'sMedian Salary
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Kirkland & Ellis LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Other 0% 0% $185,000
White & Case LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Shearman & Sterling LLP Other 0% 0% $180,000
Latham & Watkins LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP Other 0% 0% $180,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP Other 0% 0% $230,000
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Other 0% 0% $200,000
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP Other 0% 0% $210,000
Ropes & Gray LLP N/A N/A N/A $190,000
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP N/A N/A N/A $180,000
Morrison & Foerster LLP Other 0% 0% $150,000
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000
Sidley Austin (US) LLP Other 0% 0% $185,000
Baker & McKenzie LLP Other 0% 0% $185,000
Paul Hastings LLP Doctorate 0% 0% $210,000
Goodwin Procter LLP Other 0% 0% $190,000