Why do people here prefer Law over tech for $$$?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech generally has a shorter career span. If you are going to purely max income, start with tech, then at 30 or so get a law degree. And keep in mind that there are no guarantees in life, and that everyone has different ideas of what happiness and success means.

Not accurate. Why would tech have a shorter career span? You just have to stay up to date with new technologies, and those that want to advance their career/make more move up the management chain. Plenty of 50 yo working in tech.

[Anonymous]

Who cares?

[Anonymous]

I can tell you are not well educated. Let your kid find their niche.
Diff skill sets for each of these jobs. Not interchangeable

[Anonymous]

You'll find a lot more lawyers, including and maybe especially in big law, who regret their choices. You'll find some in big tech, but it is a far smaller percentage.
FWIW, on the west coast you don't see many people who prefer law and CS-related majors everywhere are skyrocketing in popularity.

[Anonymous]

People who do well in BigLaw would also do well in finance. I always wonder why they didn’t go with finance. You start making 250-300k very early in your twenties then can progress to millions easily.

If you want to take a step back for work life balance, your step back is still making 1 mil/very high six figures instead of 150k with the Feds.

[Anonymous]

Law is for risk adverse liberal arts majors. Tech isn't.

[Anonymous]

Aptitude? Wanting to do something you enjoy? I'm a good lawyer, and I have no doubt I'd be incompetent in tech, and would hate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find this a pointless thread. The assumption that "anyone" can do a CS/engineering degree and waltz into a FAANG job with a six figure income right out of college is ridiculous. When I was in college 25 years ago, CS degrees were already starting to get desirable and I had classmates studying CS and I listened to them talk about their classes and glanced at their textbooks and my eyes immediately glazed over. Not for me. Brain very firmly said nope, no thank you. I wouldn't have lasted a year. I'd only have gone into "tech" in a non-tech role.

To do well in "tech" as a programmer or designer, you do need a special kind of brain attuned to the demands of the work. These kids are lucky to have the right brain and right interest at the right time in history.

There are many routes to success. Tech isn't the only one.

Why are you being sensible on this thread? We only want outrageous opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid obviously didn’t land a big law job. He’d be making more money than the other kid if he did. First years starting at age 25 or 26 make well over $200k and by the time they’re 30 they’re making close to $350k.

So basically the other kid is a star in his field and your kid isn’t.

The percent of attorneys making $200k at graduate is tiny. They are the top of their class from top schools going into large corporations in places like NYC. Very few graduates are anywhere near that salary.

The public sector attorney makes about $70k per year. The median salary for all attorneys is $126K. So half make well below $200K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am lawyer - why did I prefer it over tech? It's my interest.

Same. I’d be miserable in tech but I love being a lawyer.

Same. And same with my kid. He’ll probably end up in law school, because he’s took after me, and not my engineer DH.

Are those his only two options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i would never.....law is the most soul robbing "profession" around. Don't give rats a$$ what it pays. 95% of the lawyers I know hate their jobs...and this includes a few earning over $1m.

Lawyers who are required to clock in way too many billable doing mind numbing boring work hardly moving from your desk for 14 hours, they hate their jobs. The only thing that keeps them going is to brag about how much money they earn.

Many lawyers outside the greedy corporate world love their jobs. Lawyers like elder law attorneys who help the elderly with their needs, anywhere from finding a nursing home, planning financially to qualify for benefits, meeting with families who can’t agree on what to do to helping with a guardianship.

Lawyers can be in the helping professions with normal hours, a smaller paycheck and a healthier home life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who do well in BigLaw would also do well in finance. I always wonder why they didn’t go with finance. You start making 250-300k very early in your twenties then can progress to millions easily.

If you want to take a step back for work life balance, your step back is still making 1 mil/very high six figures instead of 150k with the Feds.

the bolded is not true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who do well in BigLaw would also do well in finance. I always wonder why they didn’t go with finance. You start making 250-300k very early in your twenties then can progress to millions easily.

If you want to take a step back for work life balance, your step back is still making 1 mil/very high six figures instead of 150k with the Feds.

the bolded is not true

+1. Not easy to even earn $50k annually….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am lawyer - why did I prefer it over tech? It's my interest.

Same. I’d be miserable in tech but I love being a lawyer.

Same. And same with my kid. He’ll probably end up in law school, because he’s took after me, and not my engineer DH.

Are those his only two options?

Yes. We are from India

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, yeah, but then you’re a software engineer. So boring. High paying and dorky.

All the tech bros I know driving around their Maseratis in their new-build NoVa communities have poor social skills and haven’t read a work of fiction since high school.

I’m glad they exist— otherwise I couldn’t be typing this on my phone today — but it’s an unappealing, poor fit for a lot of us with equally big brains

So you don’t actually know anyone working in tech?

Why do people make up this weird stuff?