<p>Hey, I'm trying to decide whether I want to do law or medicine more. Ignoring factors such as interest, length of training, etc., and only looking at pure numbers, which one will be able to buy me a Mercedes E-Class and a 0.5 million dollar house? And for all the "moral issues people", yes I'm a materialistic bastard, but meh.</p>
<p>A choice between such divergent careers is absurd. These jobs require a substantial investment of time and energy. You will not want to / be able to do either effectively without considerable interest in either. And if you can't do either effectively, you can't make the big bucks. Does that answer your question?</p>
<p>lol, columbia2007 is right, but here's what I'm assuming CALIFORNIA_LOVE8, doctors make more. But realize that in medicine, you're dealing with people's lives, so you don't want to be unskilled or simply there just to get the money, cuz again, it's people's lives you're dealing with, and being a doctor, you should be interested in people's health problems.</p>
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But realize that in medicine, you're dealing with people's lives
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<p>apparently you've not heard of Death Penalty Case???</p>
<p>Do what you love and the money will follow because you'll do an excellent job...life is too short not to enjoy your work.</p>
<p>Well, the law salaries are far too varied to answer that question well. Yeah, if you go to Yale Law and don't care about having a life, you can end up making a few million a year when you're 40. Then again, if you go to a non-HYS school and don't do well or can't take the long hours, you'll be making less than you would in professions like accounting. </p>
<p>Medicine may require a substantial outlay of money (for your own practice) to make the big bucks. Also, depending on where you live and what you practice, the insurance premiums will kill you. </p>
<p>If you want money, fine. No preaching here. Just don't go into medicine or law, because that's a bad way to make a lot of money and a medicore way to make nice money. Become an investment banker or go into insurance sales.</p>
<p>i was reading that the usual top law schools, mainly the top 15 have an average of around a 125,000 salary rite out of skool</p>
<p>I don't think it's unreasonable to chose a career in part based on how remunerative you expect it to be. Most people include that factor among other considerations; for many, it's the biggest factor. But it's dangerous to weigh that factor too heavily, especially when considering whether to enter a profession that will occupy most of your waking hours for four decades in the middle of your life. Unless you're drawn to the work itself, entering a profession just for the money is a recipe for misery.</p>
<p>For what it's worth, the average physician is paid more than the average lawyer. My guess is that the most highly paid lawyers make more than the most highly paid physicians.</p>
<p>california_love, you're obviously going to make a HORRIBLE doctor or a HORRIBLE lawyer...i'd slap my doctor if he got into medicine just to buy a house and a car...shows how insecure you are about YOURSELF....sorry, but you shall never silence the 'moral issues people'....we have to much fire...</p>
<p>just so you know...medicine isn't something you just jump into to make money.....bc its DEF not worth the money or time if you're goal is to make money...and i find it suspicious that you would have an interest in both medicine and law....and they just happen to be the two well known money making careers in america...what ever happened to doing something you love bc i find it hard to believe that you have a passion for both law and medicine</p>
<p>Actually I think it is well known that people go into medicine for the income. That you believe altruism is the only reason for their "devotion to patients" is laughable.</p>
<p>I considered medicine for a very long time. Somewhere in the middle, I wanted to do the Ph.D. route in engineering. I think that the same things that attracted me to medicine attract me to law: intellectually challenging profession; a "profession" and not just a job that you go to; and one in which you can really make a tremendous difference in people's lives if you do it well (or poorly, but not the kind of difference you want to make). Also, I enjoy high-stress environments. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, please consider that you'll be well into your 30s before you start making $$ as a doctor. Also consider what your loans will look like - over 1/3 of a million by the time you're done racking up interest while you do your internships and residencies.</p>
<p>Don't forget malpractice insurance due to the bottomfeeding trial lawyers like John Edwards.</p>
<p>If you're really smart and dedicated, a law career seems to be a better bet to big bucks than a medical career.</p>
<p>Average salaries for partners at the top 10 firms in New York are like around 2 million. These firms also tend to have quicker tracks to becoming partners (Watchtell is 8 years I believe).</p>
<p>However, a crappy doctor will make more money than a crappy lawyer (much, much more).</p>
<p>I know plenty of stupid doctors raking in big bucks. I don't know of many successful lawyers that are stupid (except for trial lawyers).</p>
<p>By the way, ignoring "length of training" is stupid, even if you're just in it for the money. Money has a time value associated with it.</p>