Employment Report and Salary Survey
These statistics for the Classes of 2001-2007 were taken from Career Center employment surveys reported to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), of which we are a member school. For more than 20 years, NALP has conducted a nationwide survey to gather information on the employment status of graduates from ABA-accredited law schools across the country.
Members of each graduating class are asked to complete a standardized questionnaire, and their responses are reported to NALP in February of each year. (A "class" consists of those students graduating in December, May and August.)
Employment of UT College of Law graduates has remained consistent during the last decade with at least 95 percent employed (of those seeking employment) within nine months of graduation, a figure which continually approximates or surpasses national rates for legal employment of recent graduates.
Total Employed Graduates
2008 - 97% of known graduates seeking work
2007 - 99% of known graduates seeking work
2006 - 99% of known graduates seeking work
2005 - 97% of known graduates seeking work
2004 - 98% of known graduates seeking work
2003 - 97% of known graduates seeking work
2002 - 96% of known
graduates seeking work
2001 - 98%
of known graduates seeking work
Employed in Knoxville, Tennessee
2008 - 25%
2007 - 30%
2006 - 31%
2005 - 27%
2004 - 23%
2003 - 28%
2002 - 28%
2001 - 18%
Employed in Nashville, Tennessee
2008 - 18%
2007 - 17%
2006 - 13%
2005 - 24%
2004 - 20%
2003 - 15%
2002 - 20%
2001 - 23%
Employed in Chattanooga, Tennessee
2008 - 3%
2007 - 5%
2006 - 4%
2005 - 4%
2004 - 10%
2003 - 9%
2002 - 4%
2001 - 8%
Employed in Memphis, Tennessee
2008 - 2%
2007 - 5%
2006 - 5%
2005 - 1%
2004 - 2%
2003 - 4%
2002 - 5%
2001 - 3%
Employed in Other Tennessee Towns
2008 - 20%
2007 - 7%
2006 - 19%
2005 - 20%
2004 - 10%
2003 - 12%
2002 - 15%
2001 - 17%
Employed Outside of Tennessee
2008 - 32%
2007 - 7%
2006 - 28%
2005 - 24%
2004 - 35%
2003 - 30%
2002 - 24%
2001 - 31%
Employed in Private Practice / Law Firms
2008 - 59%
2007 - 61%
2006 - 65%
2005 - 57%
2004 - 67%
2003 - 75%
2002 - 65%
2001 - 71%
Employed in Federal & State Judicial Clerkships
2008 - 13%
2007 - 9%
2006 - 11%
2005 - 12%
2004 - 7%
2003 - 10%
2002 - 13%
2001 - 7%
Employed in Other Government Agencies & the Military
2008 - 16%
2007 - 13%
2006 - 12%
2005 - 18%
2004 - 15%
2003 - 5%
2002 - 9%
2001 - 13%
Employed in Business / Industry
2008 - 6%
2007 - 10%
2006 - 7%
2005 - 9%
2004 - 6%
2003 - 7%
2002 - 8%
2001 - 6%
Employed in Public Interest
2008 - 4%
2007 - 6%
2006 - 4%
2005 - 4%
2004 - 3%
2003 - 2%
2002 - 2%
2001 - 2%
Employed in Academics
2008 - 2%
2007 - 1%
2006 - 1%
2005 - 0%
2004 - 2%
2003 - 1%
2002 - 1%
2001 - 1%
Range of Starting Salaries for ALL Positions & ALL Locations
2008 - $40,000 to $145,000
2007 - $40,000 to $160,000
2006 - $40,000 to $145,000
2005 - $35,000 to $100,000
2004 - $39,000 to $120,000
2003 - $30,000 to $125,000
2002 - $30,000 to
$130,000
2001 - $29,500 to $125,000
Average Starting Salaries for ALL Positions & ALL Locations
2008 - $70,800 (63% of graduates reported salary)
2007 - $70,600 (69% of graduates reported salary)
2006 - $64,260 (62% of graduates reported salary)
2005 - $60,100 (57% of graduates reported salary)
2004 - $59,790 (69% of graduates reported salary)
2003 - $59,090 (62% of graduates reported salary)
2002 - $56,520 (60%
of graduates reported salary)
2001 - $59,130 (59% of graduates reported salary)
Average Starting Salaries for ALL Positions in Tennessee
2008 - $69,000
2007 - $62,000
2006 - $58,280
2005 - $48,000
2004 - $55,900
2003 - $56,590
2002
- $50,850
2001 - $56,160
Average Starting Salaries for ALL Positions Outside of Tennessee
2008 - $75,100
2007 - $85,000
2006 - $79,100
2005 - $60,800
2004 - $65,500
2003 - $67,540
2002
- $73,760
2001 - $63,670
Average Starting Salaries for PRIVATE FIRMS in ALL Locations
2008 - $84,800
2007 - $83,300
2006 - $72,850
2005 - $69,500
2004 - $67,600
2003 - $63,800
2002 - $63,190
2001 - $65,600
Average Starting Salaries for GOVERNMENT Positions in ALL Locations
2008 - $50,500
2007 - $48,500
2006 - $48,950
2005 - $43,100
2004 - $45,560
2003 - $40,290
2002 - $35,950
2001 - $38,830
Average Starting Salaries for BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Positions in ALL Locations
2008 - $72,500
2007 - $64,300
2006 - $66,670
2005 - $50,000
2004 - $40,000
2003 - $73,670
2002 - $64,670
2001 - $58,500
Average Starting Salaries for PUBLIC INTEREST Positions in ALL Locations
2008 - $47,500
2007 - $42,300
2006 - $43,000
2005 - $40,000
2004 - $39,000
2003 - $33,000
2002 - $33,000
2001 - $31,000
Average Starting Salaries for ACADEMIC Positions in ALL Locations
2008 - $47,500
2007 - not available, 0 graduates reported
2006 - $40,000
2005-2001 - not available, 0 graduates reported
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms in Knoxville, Tennessee
2008 - $68,000
2007 - $58,600
2006 - $58,540
2005 - $60,600
2004 - $50,650
2003 - $53,160
2002 - $47,250
2001 - $51,570
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms in Nashville, Tennessee
2008 - $98,300
2007 - $91,800
2006 - $76,370
2005 - $65,100
2004 - $76,770
2003 - $67,570
2002 - $71,040
2001 - $75,480
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms in Chattanooga, Tennessee
2008 - $70,800
2007 - $74,400
2006 - $67,500
2005 - $57,500
2004 - $54,500
2003 - $57,810
2002 - $57,330
2001 - $54,400
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms in Memphis, Tennessee
2008 - $70,000
2007 - $66,700
2006 - $70,000
2005 - not available
2004 - $76,000
2003 - $67,000
2002 - $50,670
2001 - $55,000
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms in Other Tennessee Towns
2008 - $60,000
2007 - $57,500
2006 - $60,000
2005 - $48,000
2004 - $45,000
2003 - $55,780
2002 - $45,000
2001 - $46,200
Average Starting Salaries for Private Firms Outside of Tennessee
2008 - $115,300
2007 - $108,000
2006 - $76,700
2005 - $76,700
2004 - $83,700
2003 - $74,250
2002 - $78,870
2001 - $73,180
