Law Vs Engineering, Which One Should I Study? (Explained)

Thinking about what to study?

Considering studying Law or Engineering and wanting to know which one to study.

A difficult decision, something I struggled with when leaving high school.

So let’s answer the question Law Vs Engineering, which one should I study?

In short, You should consider studying Law if you are seeking are interesting, prestigious, and well-paying job. You should consider studying Engineering if you enjoy solving everyday problems using advanced maths and sciences.

Law is thought to be better to Engineering since it pays more, is more distinguished, and has significant career advancement and earning potential.

That said, both Law and Engineers careers attract many college students because both of these fields are prestigious, offer upward mobility, and have strong income potential. An Engineering degree generally had less intense educational requirements, takes half the time and pay less than Law.

Study Law or Engineering you will gain reasoning, verbal, and written communication skills.

A career in Law or Engineering is intellectually challenging, financially rewarding & personally fulfilling.

Importantly you will gain confidence in your skills and ability.

Law graduates, including former lawyers, have ended up working in a variety of fields, including politics, journalism, human resources, business, and marketing.

However, to become a Lawyer you will need to be prepared for the intense level of study for 7 years plus.

To become an Engineer it only takes 4 years of studying to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree.

Engineering graduates can pursue a career in the Engineering branch they have graduated in.

Alternatively, Engineers have been known to pursue careers in sales, business, and operations.

Working in either Law you can expect to work long hours and a consuming, demanding career.

Studying law is no easy task.

Most students struggle with a vast amount of studying, having to read, comprehend, and apply different logical processes and analyses.

Finally, it comes down to your strengths and interests for either Law, Engineering, or maybe even both.

If you don’t have an interest in either Law or Engineering you should consider other options.

The last thing you want to tough out studying something that you are not passionate about or interested in.

Then you will be faced with working in a career that you are not happy with.

So now we have answered the main question, let’s discuss other main questions or topics people have regarding making the choice between studying Law or Engineering

Is Law More Difficult Than Engineering? (Explained)

Law is equally as difficult to Engineering. Both are difficult in their own way. Law is difficult because it requires learning a vast amount of material. An engineering degree is difficult because it requires solving complex problems using maths, physics, and sciences.

What one person finds difficult with being different from another person.

It really comes down to a person’s strengths and interests.

That being said, to become a Lawyer will take between 5-7 years of studying a vast amount of complex material, having to read, comprehend, and apply different logical processes and analyses.

To become an Engineer you will need to get a bachelor’s degree that normally takes 4 years.

You also need to be comfortable studying and have a handle on complex sciences and maths.

For example, with maths to become a Mechanical Engineer, you will need to get a grip on numerical methods: integration methods for ODE, linear system solving, linear algebra,

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Which Has A Better Career Path, Law Or Engineering?

Both Law and Engineering do have things in common.

They both involve critical thinking to come up with solutions and outcomes.

Law is a better career path than Engineering if you enjoy reading, interpreting, and drafting legal documents. Arguing and refuting complex legal arguments on behalf of a client.

Engineering is a better career path than Law if you have an aptitude for maths, sciences, and technology. And have an interest in using expertise and technical skills to solve a wide array of real-world problems in a technical way.

A career in Lawsuits those students who enjoy reasoning possess logical thinking and problem-solving.

For most, the career path for a Lawyer typically involves working at a private law firm, focusing on three types of work: transactional, advisory, and litigious.

Other places of work involve working at organizations that have an in-house law department.

Being a Lawyer you can expect to come to work to read case studies, craft, review, and draft contracts and documents.

Prepare and draft legal arguments for your client or organization.

A career in Engineering suits those students who enjoy maths and sciences.

Engineers are typically analytical curious problem solvers who enjoy the technical aspects of developing solutions.

Engineering ranges from electrical engineering to mechanical, industrial, chemical, and civil, to name a few. All of these types are significantly different from each other.

A typical day for a Lawyer involves applying scientific and mathematical principles to develop solutions to everyday problems.

For a Civil Engineer, for example, their day can be spent working on designing roads and bridges using computer-assisted design software and related technology.

According to the Labor Bureau of Statistics, the majority of lawyers work in private and corporate legal offices.

Some work for federal, local, and state governments.

Most work full time and many work more than 40 hours a week.

Who Earns More Lawyers Or Engineers?

Lawyers earn more than Engineers, with the median wage of a Lawyer being $126,930 per year compared to Engineer around ~$90k per annum

However, wages will vary greatly depending on the seniority of the role, the number of years working experience, size of the organization, private vs government (private typically pays more), and finally geographical location.

Lawyers have the potential to earn high wages. For example, Partners are Law firm can earn well above $500k + per annum.

There’s always the option of starting up your own legal practice.

Then again this can also be done for an Engineer too.

Demand for Engineers depends largely on private and public funding.

For example, demand for Civil Engineers is closely tied to the government’s investment in public works, such as building roads, bridges, etc.

Demand for Lawyers is fairly constant, as there is always a need for legal work to continue as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government require legal services.

Job	Pay (USD)
Lawyer	$126,930
Civil Engineer	$88,570
Mechanical Engineer	$90,160
Civil Engineer	$88,570

Source, Labor Bureau of Statistics

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Can Someone With Engineering Degree Become A Lawyer?

Yes, someone with an Engineering Degree can become a Lawyer. For anyone to become a Lawyer it will take 4 years of undergraduate study, then followed by 3 years of law school.

To learn more, please see the link to articles below that discusses in-depth what is required to study law

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Can A Lawyer Become An Engineer?

Yes, someone with a Law Degree can become an Engineer by completing a Bachelors’s Degree in Engineering. A Bachelors’s degree in Engineering typically takes 4 years to complete.

It is not uncommon for someone to switch from Law to Engineering.

To learn more, please see the link to articles below that discusses in-depth what is required to study

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Who Is Smarter, Lawyers Or Engineers?

Lawyers and Engineers are both equally as smart as each other.

Multiple studies have shown that both Engineers and Lawyers are equipped with above-average IQ, combined with drive, hard work, and ambition.

Lawyers have to be academically smart just to get through the exhaustive amount of study and pass the Bar exam to become a Lawyer.

Then they have to be smart enough to handle complex contracts and court cases.

Engineering requires above-average IQ to be able to apply mathematical and scientific principles to design and develop, maintain new products and solutions.

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Final Thoughts

Studying law is better than engineering if you enjoy solving problems through statutes and law. Studying engineering is better solving problems through mathematics and scientific means. Both Engineering and Law offer varied, interesting, and well-paying career paths.

Law is a theoretical subject while its application would require you to have analytical skills, good communication, perseverance, sound research, fair judgment, creativity, and most importantly people’s skills.

On the other hand, Engineering is a practical field while its application would require you to have a problem-solving attitude, analytical skills, good communication, attention to detail, sound research and technical foundation, fair judgment, creativity, and most importantly people’s skills.

So being a lawyer you’ll have to study case studies, law books, changes in law enforcement, and prepare drafts and arguments for your client’s legal cases.

Being an engineer involves applying mathematical and scientific principles to develop products and services, specify the functional requirements precisely; design and test components; integrate the components to produce the final design; and evaluate the design’s overall effectiveness, cost, reliability, and safety.

In terms of career opportunities, both law and engineering can take down interesting, varied career paths.

With regards to wages, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers estimate a median annual wage of $91k, and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade

In comparison to lawyers, who according to the US Burea of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for lawyers was $122,960 in May 2019.

The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

The lowest 10 per cent earned less than $59,670, and the highest 10 per cent earned more than $208,000

Becoming an Engineer or Lawyer will take a significant amount of effort and focus to become one.

Becoming a Lawyer will take around 7 years of study compared to 4 years to become an Engineer.

Lawyers do earn more and have the earning potential which is greater than Engineers.

However, as a Lawyer, you can expect to work longer hours than an Engineer.

As with any career that you want to pursue, analyze yourself and your strengths and weaknesses, seek career counselling.

Speak with your friends and family to get their feedback and thoughts before deciding which career path you want to pick.