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Job outlook for law professors in the United States
Are law professor jobs in demand?
Law Professor job and salary trends over time
Law Professor jobs over time
Law Professor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 378 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 384 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 385 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 408 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 389 | 0.00% |
Average law professor salary over time
Law Professor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $153,385 | $73.74 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $151,696 | $72.93 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $149,379 | $71.82 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $145,760 | $70.08 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $143,805 | $69.14 | +1.4% |
Law Professor jobs by state
Most common states for law professors
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 105 | 15% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 101 | 6% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 50 | 6% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 397 | 5% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 308 | 5% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 199 | 5% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 94 | 5% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 36 | 5% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 716 | 4% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 130 | 4% |
| 12 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 115 | 4% |
| 13 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 768 | 3% |
| 14 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 152 | 3% |
| 15 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 150 | 3% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 149 | 3% |
| 17 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 143 | 3% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 102 | 3% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 38 | 3% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 16 | 3% |
Most common cities for law professors
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | 4 | 1% | $116,111 |
| 2 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $181,032 |
| 3 | Gainesville | 1 | 1% | $137,948 |
| 4 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $170,652 |
| 5 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $174,379 |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $186,893 |
| 7 | Winston-Salem | 1 | 0% | $173,924 |
Law Professor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of law professor experts
North Carolina State University
Skidmore College
Arizona State University
California University of Pennsylvania
New England Law | Boston
What general advice would you give to a Law Professor?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What Law Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alex Holte PhD: I would say being able to work with AI may be something that is more important in the next 3-5 years. Right now it’s a new technology and people are just now learning how to integrate it in the workplace, but I feel it is possible the future workforce of tomorrow will necessitate some form of being able to use AI technology.
What general advice would you give to a Law Professor?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: Perseverance pays off. Its worth it to pursue the career you want and not settle and be unhappy.
What will help Law Professors increase their earning potential?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: I wouldn’t know, I’m a professor.
Jane Kuandre
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Law Professor?
Jane Kuandre: My advice for someone looking to pursue a career in academia would be to focus on building a strong publication record, developing a network of collaborators, and continuously seeking opportunities for professional development.
What will help Law Professors increase their earning potential?
Jane Kuandre: Networking is crucial for career advancement in academia as it allows individuals to establish collaborations, gain access to resources, and stay updated on the latest research trends.
Aurelie Matheron
Assistant Professor of FrenchSkidmore College
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What Law Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aurelie Matheron: Leadership: you will be in positions of leading a program/department. Learn from current chairs by observing their own skills during meetings and moments of decision. Collaboration: develop interpersonal and interprofessional relationships that will allow you to build collaborative projects (interdepartmental courses, for instance).
What will help Law Professors increase their earning potential?
Aurelie Matheron: Do some research online about how much someone earns at your stage of the career. If there is a significant gap, point out (diplomatically) that, because of your extensive experience in XYZ, you would like to get a X% increase in your salary. Be reasonable: if you want a 3% increase, ask for 5% (not 10% or more). Justify your negotiation: why should they pay me more? What experience can I show them to justify my request? If you have a higher offer from another place, you can say that “I have received another generous offer and would like to know about the possibility for matching that offer.” Salary is not the only thing you can negotiate: office space, computer/laptop, sabbaticals, course release, etc. Again, be reasonable: if you think you are entitled to XYZ requests, you also have to show why.
Ray English
Assistant Dean, Office of Career and Employment ServicesArizona State University
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
What hard/technical skills are most important for Law Professors?
Ray English: The most important technical skills are the ability to write and to use the latest office software.
What skills stand out on Law Professor resumes?
Ray English: The skills that stand out will depend on the student's focus. The legal studies degree is broad, with many programs offering concentrations. Thus, a student will need to determine a focus and learn about the skills relevant to the area. Nevertheless, a general skill is the ability to read and understand legal documents and laws.
What soft skills should all Law Professors possess?
Ray English: The most important soft skill is fitting the company's culture you want to work for. People want to hire people that fit their culture.
What skills will help Law Professors earn the most?
Ray English: The ability to identify issues and develop solutions is incredibly important. One of the benefits of securing a legal studies degree is to gain insight into the problem-solving process used by legal professionals.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Law Professors?
Brian Kohlhepp: Largely, this would be acquiring a Master's degree. Many folks obtain this degree for an advancement at their current employer or in order to make themselves a more attractive candidate to the overall job field.
Peter Towne
Assistant Director of Career Services and Pro Bono CoordinatorNew England Law | Boston
Career Services Department
What technical skills for a Law Professor stand out to employers?
Peter Towne: In a typical law office or other legal setting, technical skills aren't the biggest priority as much of the work in the legal world was still highly analog prior to 2020. Overall, the expectations are set fairly low in this category for legal practitioners as a result, but there is a certain amount of basic skill that is assumed in using software for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The past year has created some opportunity for those that are skilled in a virtual setting, i.e. using video conferencing or knowing how to file documents electronically, to stand out.
I would encourage any law student to take advantage of the various opportunities in law school to learn as much as they can about using legal research platforms, including certifications offered by Lexis and Westlaw. Though it can be difficult to predict what methods a legal employer will use for this part of the job, the skills are easily transferrable. In a similar way, familiarity with practice management, billing, or administrative software can be an advantage. It may not be a "need to have" for a candidate to get a great job, but certainly a "nice to have" that can help boost a candidates profile.