Mid-Level

Law Instructor

You design instructional content and experiences. As a Learning Development Designer, you're creating training materials, analyzing learning needs, and building programs that actually change behavior.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
S
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Socialhelping, teaching
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Law Instructors
Job markets for Law Instructors
Employment concentration · ~27 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Law Instructor

Law instructors teach legal courses in law schools or undergraduate settings—often in a teaching-focused role that emphasizes course delivery and student development over original scholarship. The distinction from "professor" often signals a teaching-focused position without tenure-track research expectations.

The teaching load in instructor roles is typically higher than in tenure-track positions, with less protected time for research. That tradeoff works well for those who are genuinely energized by teaching and student development, but less well for those who want to maintain an active scholarly agenda.

People who tend to do well are committed to excellent teaching as a primary professional value—they invest in pedagogical development, course design, and student mentoring in ways that scholarly research sometimes crowds out in tenure-track faculty. If you find legal education itself fascinating and genuinely prefer the classroom to the library, law instructor roles tend to be professionally satisfying and stable, though the career ceiling differs from the tenure-track path.

AchievementHigh
Working ConditionsHigh
IndependenceHigh
RecognitionAbove avg
RelationshipsAbove avg
SupportLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Law Instructors (SOC 25-1112.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Law Instructor career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$58K–$208K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
23K
U.S. Employment
+2.2%
10yr Growth
2K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$72K$69K$67K$65K201920202021202220232024$65K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

SpeakingActive ListeningLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionInstructingWritingActive LearningCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem Solving
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
25-1112.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.