Continuing a decades old trend, employment of lawyers increased yet again from May, 2017 to May, 2018, in the latest data released today, March 29, 2019, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. (The data excludes partners, who are not defined as “employees,” and may also exclude some solo practitioners.)
Nationally, there were 642,750 people employed as lawyers as of May 2018 compared to 628,370 a year earlier, representing an increase (net of retirements, deaths, and changes of employment) of 14,380 lawyers [2.2%]. …
Incomes were up, yet again, as in every year but one over the last two decades. The mean wage as of 2018 was $144,230 [+1.6%] and the median was $120,910 [+1.3%]. …
