How much money does an attorney earn?

Answer 1

Most attorneys in the US make between $60,000 and $175,000 a year, with the higher earnings coming from the private sector. Those earnings are for working attorneys, not for attorneys who may be employed in other positions, such as judges and representatives of government. Those who work in a partnership generally earn more than others. In partnerships, hourly wages vary from $72.19 per hour to $29.47 per hour.

William Barr, the general counsel of Verizon Communications Inc., retired from an annual salary of $863,000 in 2009, with a bonus package of over $10 million.

Answer 2

It depends. If its something you are really passionate about, pro bono work is always an option. Generally lawyers can make anywhere from 70-100 thousand per year. Working towards helping people defend their civil liberties and upholding civil rights is a very noble thing to be interested in pursuing, but you should be doing it because its something your passionate about. Doing anything for the money is the wrong reason...