Where Attorneys Rank Among Nation's Highest Earners

Lawyers are well represented in the ranks of wealthy Americans, although the list is dominated by executives.  Attorneys make up 6.2 percent of the wealthiest Americans----the  .1 percent of Americans who make $1.7 million dollars per year or more.  Fifty nine percent of top earners are executives and managers.  Of those, 41 percent  are top management at non-financial companies while 18 percent are financial professionals and managers at financial firms, according to the Washington Post .   Real estate professional follow lawyers in the rankings at 4.7 percent, then sports and media figures are next at 3 percent.

The Washington Post  article focused on recently inflated income disparities between company leaders and the working class.  The study shows that the gap is at its highest level since the Great Depression.  The article notes that executive compensation has ballooned recently, widening the chasm between high income earners and everyone else. Hourly workers in some industries are actually making less compared to salaries from the 1970s, while executives in those same companies were making ten times as much as their 70s predecessors.  The information comes from a review of tax returns.

Source:

 The Washington Post 

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