Employment for lawyers is expected to grow by 5 percent, about as fast as the average for all careers, through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In the public sector, opportunities will be best at the state and local levels, while employment with federal agencies is expected to experience negligible growth as a result of budget cuts.
More companies will need the services of environmental lawyers to ensure that they are in compliance with environmental laws and are following green business strategies. The increasing popularity of environmental consultants—many of whom do not have law degrees but offer legal advice to corporations and other employers—may limit employment growth for environmental lawyers.
Growth for all lawyers will be predominantly in salaried positions in locations in which government agencies, large corporations, and law firms are based. Self-employed lawyers may have slower job growth due to the costs involved in starting a business as well as competition from larger, more established law firms. Competition continues to be keen in the legal job market in general, however, as there are usually more lawyers than there are available positions. Those who have the flexibility to relocate to different parts of the country for positions will have more opportunities when they search for work.
- Agricultural Scientists
- Air Quality Engineers
- Aquarists
- Arbitrators
- Arborists
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bankruptcy Lawyers
- Biochemists
- Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers
- Biofuels Processing Technicians
- Biofuels Production Managers
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Biologists
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Biotechnology Patent Lawyers
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Botanists
- Bounty Hunters
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Chemists
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Civil Engineers
- Civil Litigation Lawyers
- Climate Scientists
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Lawyers
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Criminal Lawyers
- Ecologists
- Elder Law Attorneys
- Energy Conservation Technicians
- Energy Consultants
- Environmental Economists
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Environmental Scientists
- Environmental Technicians
- EPA Special Agents
- Family Lawyers
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Foresters
- Forestry Technicians
- Geological Technicians
- Geologists
- Geophysicists
- Green Builders
- Green Hotel/Resort Ecomanagers
- Green Products Manufacturers
- Green Transportation Careers
- Grounds Managers
- Groundwater Professionals
- Hazardous Waste Management Specialists
- Hazardous Waste Management Technicians
- Hedge Fund Lawyers
- Historians
- Horticultural Inspectors
- Horticultural Technicians
- Hydropower and Marine Energy Industry Workers
- Indoor Environmental Health Specialists
- Industrial Ecologists
- Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Judges
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Landscape Architects
- Landscapers
- Law Librarians
- Lawyers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Legal Secretaries
- Litigation Support/eDiscovery Analysts
- Marine Biologists
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys
- Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System Operators
- Methane/Landfill Gas Generation System Technicians
- Microbiologists
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Mutual Fund Lawyers
- National Park Service Employees
- Naturalists
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Oceanographers
- Paralegals
- Park Rangers
- Patent Agents
- Patent Lawyers
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Range Managers
- Real Estate Lawyers
- Recreation Workers
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers
- Recycling Coordinators
- Renewable Energy Careers
- Renewable Energy Engineers
- Rewilders
- Soil Conservationists and Technicians
- Soil Scientists
- Space Lawyers
- Tax Attorneys
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Technicians
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Wildland Firefighters
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zoologists
