💡 Why it matters: More satellites are being launched every year, and as space business grows, countries will need experts who write fair rules on who owns what, who is responsible for crashes and how space stays safe.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Africa is launching more satellites, which is increasing the need for space law experts.
- United States: Jobs for lawyers are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A job of the future expected 2040s
As more countries and companies launch satellites and plan space missions, there will be a growing need for lawyers who can handle licences, insurance and disputes that happen in orbit.
This is an informed prediction, not a promise. The skills below are useful whichever way the future goes.
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦2M – ₦5M
- Mid-career
- ₦5M – ₦14M
- Senior
- ₦14M – ₦38M
≈ ₦417k – ₦1.2M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK profile: 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 Canadian 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 on licences for satellites and launches
- Draft contracts between space companies and governments
- Explain international space treaties
- Handle disputes about damage or debris in space
- Help new space agencies write their own rules
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Legal research
- Curiosity about science
- Writing
- Negotiation
- Languages and diplomacy
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Work with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) or a satellite company and learn the legal side
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Solicitor apprenticeship (Level 7)
- Work in the legal team of a space or satellite company
🇺🇸 United States
- Work in the legal office of an aerospace company or a government space or aviation agency
🇨🇦 Canada
- Articling or a licensing program after law school
- Join the legal team of a space agency or satellite firm
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Love both science fiction and fairness
- 2Study Law and qualify as a lawyer in your country
- 3Take international law and learn basic space science
- 4Specialise through a master's degree (LLM) in air and space law
- 5Advise space agencies, satellite firms or governments
⏰ A day in the life
A satellite company wants to launch a new communications satellite. You check which licences it needs, read the international space rules and write a plain note explaining the risks to the founders.