💡 Why it matters: Oil spills, illegal logging and polluted rivers affect real families. Environmental lawyers help communities, companies and governments follow and enforce the rules that protect nature.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Oil spills, illegal logging and polluted rivers affect families in Nigeria.
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.5M – ₦4M
- Mid-career
- ₦5M – ₦14M
- Senior
- ₦14M – ₦40M
≈ ₦417k – ₦1.2M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK job: Solicitor. Typical starter to experienced salary. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Lawyers. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank occupation: Lawyer. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Advise companies on environmental rules and permits
- Represent communities affected by pollution
- Write contracts and legal opinions
- Argue cases in court
- Research new laws on climate and the environment
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Research
- Argument and speaking
- Writing
- Attention to detail
- Integrity
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Begin in a firm with an energy or environment practice
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Solicitor apprenticeship (about 6 years)
- Start as a paralegal
🇺🇸 United States
- Work as a paralegal first
- Clerk or intern with environmental groups or agencies
🇨🇦 Canada
- Work as a legal assistant or paralegal first
- Environmental law clinics and student placements
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Literature, Government and English in school
- 2Join the debate club and follow environmental court cases
- 3Earn a law degree and complete your country's professional legal training
- 4Be admitted to practise law and join a firm or NGO
- 5Specialise with a master's degree in environmental law
⏰ A day in the life
You read a company's new environmental permit, then prepare a letter for a community whose farmland was polluted. In the afternoon you research past cases to support your argument in court.