Lawyers build complex problem solving, judgment and negotiation skills that top executives and managers rely on daily. Of the 25 careers below, Chief Executives match lawyers best at 83%, with a BLS May 2025 median of $213,990.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | 83% | $213,990 | +34% | None |
| 2 | Investment Fund Managers | 78% | $166,570Pay for the broader BLS group “Financial Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Compliance Managers | 78% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | 77% | $193,950 | +21% | None |
| 5 | Human Resources Managers | 77% | $149,280 | −7% | None |
| 6 | Chief Sustainability Officers | 77% | $213,990Pay for the broader BLS group “Chief Executives” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | 76% | $149,230 | −7% | None |
| 8 | Public Relations Managers | 76% | $146,910 | −8% | None |
| 9 | Financial Managers | 75% | $166,570 | +4% | None |
| 10 | Marketing Managers | 74% | $166,790 | +4% | None |
Compared with Lawyers, median $159,670. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in lawyers’ work (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
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Legal work means weighing risks, arguing a position and settling disputes under pressure. O*NET rates negotiation and persuasion at 4 out of 5 for lawyers, the same strengths that drive leadership, compliance and human resources roles. A general counsel already advises the executive team, which is why chief executive and compliance manager roles rank high. Policy and mediation roles use your reading of rules and people. The skills to add are mostly management ones, such as running budgets and staff.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
83% skill match · $213,990 · +34% pay
Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources · Management of Personnel Resources
78% skill match · $166,570 (broader BLS group)
Management of Financial Resources · Operations Monitoring · Quality Control Analysis
78% skill match · $141,900 (broader BLS group)
Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Chief Executives (83%), Investment Fund Managers (78%) and Compliance Managers (78%), based on O*NET 31.0. Human Resources Managers and Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (77% each) are also close and use the same judgment and negotiation skills.
Yes, but only a few. 5 of the 25 matches pay more than the $159,670 median for lawyers. Chief Executives earn a median of $213,990, a 34% increase, and Industrial-Organizational Psychologists earn $193,950 (+21%), according to BLS May 2025 data.
No for every option on this page: all 25 matches usually need no more education than a law degree, based on O*NET Job Zones. What many of them do need is management experience, since the top 10 matches often ask for skills in managing money and people.
Within the legal field, the nearest roles are Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (92% match), Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers (84%) and Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (65%). Mediation lets lawyers keep working on disputes without going to court.