The Job With A Higher Salary Than A Lawyer With Law School Debt — And It Doesn’t Even Require A College Degree
Chances are you've probably never thought of this career path before.
Steven Fortier | Unsplash Most young people have spent their lives hearing about how they should go after high-paying, high-prestige jobs like lawyers and doctors, but it seems the tides are turning. As college becomes more unaffordable, doing all of the work it takes to become a lawyer seems less and less desirable. Instead, blue-collar work is taking the spotlight, and many are skipping college altogether.
For decades now, society has lauded the merits of higher education and getting at least one secondary degree. The common assumption was that the more school you attended, the more money you would make in your career. However, as student loan debt has skyrocketed, college has become more unattainable for the average student, and many are looking for alternatives.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers can make more money than lawyers.
“Just go to college” used to be the go-to advice for nearly every situation facing a young adult. But now, college is something that is increasingly only for the elite. Costs are increasing every year, with a student attending a public, in-state university on the hook for $11,610, according to the College Board.
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It’s even worse for a private or out-of-state institution, of course, and the more school you attend, the higher the price tag gets. So, if your goal is to become a lawyer and receive not just your bachelor’s degree but your law degree as well, the costs are astronomical. But trade school? That’s a different story entirely.
The Education Data Initiative said that the average student loan borrower owes $39,075. For people who go to law school, the number is much larger — $160,000, according to the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. When you compare those numbers to the relatively low cost of trade school, it almost seems like a no-brainer.
Wages for an elevator and escalator installer and repairer can go toe-to-toe with a lawyer’s.
If someone asks what you do for work and you tell them you’re a lawyer, that will sound respectable and distinguished because of social norms. If you said you were an elevator and escalator installer and repairer, you might get some confused looks and questions. However, while people may not assign the job the same amount of prestige, money is no issue.
The American Bar Association said that the average annual salary for a lawyer as of 2023 was $176,470. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, elevator and escalator installers and repairers make $106,580 a year, or $51.24 an hour. Both are over six figures.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that a lawyer is going to have another six figures in student debt to deal with. There’s no telling how much of their money will go towards paying off those loans each year, but the number would likely be in the tens of thousands. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers don’t have to deal with that.
Traditional higher education is losing popularity, while blue-collar jobs are in high demand.
The fact is that fewer people are attending college for financial reasons, which is leading not only to decreased enrollment but also to the shuttering of some schools’ doors. Really, some colleges are close to needing to beg students to attend, and in the coming years, prices will hopefully be lower to reflect this.
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Meanwhile, blue-collar industries are facing a job shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there are more than 7 million open jobs in the country, of which many are skilled trades. People have been so focused on attending college at any cost for so long now that there aren’t enough tradesmen left to take on jobs that don’t require a degree. Instead, there’s an influx of workers with degrees who can’t find jobs because there aren’t enough out there to meet the demand.
Becoming a lawyer may come with prestige and the idea that you must be incredibly smart, but the smarter choice is actually to save your money and learn a skilled trade, like an elevator and escalator installer and repairer. You can still make six figures, but you won’t be saddled with the cost of college and the burden of student loans. You’ll be free to spend your money on your own terms.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
