Engineering vs Law: Which-is-better? - Skills required, Jobs, Salary

Engineering vs Law - Which is better?

Edited By Manasvini Gupta | Updated on Feb 10, 2025 10:11 AM IST

Engineering vs Law: Which is better? -Choosing a stream after 10th grade is a pivotal, career-defining moment for students. The sheer number of options available makes selecting the right path challenging. This confusion is particularly pronounced when choosing between engineering and law. Both fields demand strong thinking, analytical, problem-solving, and research skills. Furthermore, the demand for both engineers and lawyers remains consistently high. This article outlines the academic pathways, salary expectations, and job prospects for careers in both engineering and law, aiming to help you decide: Engineering vs. Law – Which is the better choice for you?

Engineering vs Law - Which is better?

Engineering vs Law: How to decide?

Skills required for a career in engineering or law are listed below. One must go through them and analyze their interests and priorities before choosing any one career option out of two.

Why Engineering?

If maths, physics, computer science, etc interests you then engineering is a good choice for you. Moreover, a person needs to be passionate about coding, machines, technology,y etc. They need to stay up to date with the latest trends and should be problem solvers. They must also possess an appetite for learning new techniques

Why Law?

If you want to be part of the legal system then law is a good choice for you. The person must possess logical and reasoning abilities. They must also possess strong convincing abilities and, a selfless nature. It also allows you to enter into politics or work closely with the law and order system of the country. All in all, it gives you prestige, power, and money all at the same time.

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Engineering vs Law– A side-by-side comparison

Particulars	Engineering	Law
Field of Study	B.Tech is an undergraduate degree in India for engineering candidates. It can be pursued in various fields like Computer Science, Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, Automobiles etc.	LLB is a law undergraduate degree in India. It offers several modules in its syllabus which are: criminal law, contract law, constitutional or administrative law, equity and trusts, land law, tort law, and cyber law.
Profession Requirements	Engineering requires students who are problem solvers, creative thinkers, good at analysis and always ready to learn.	Law requires a student to be quick while thinking, observant and self-confident.
Income	After B.Tech, a fresher can earn from 3.5 to 5 lakhs per annum. With experience and qualification, it can go up to 10 lakhs per annum.	After LLB, a fresher-in-law can earn from 3 to 8 lakhs per annum. Income largely depends on qualifications and work experience.

Engineering vs Law – Academic path

To become an engineer, one must take the science stream in class 11. After 10+2, one needs to pursue B.Tech for which most institutes conduct an entrance exam. To become a lawyer, a person should preferably choose an arts stream. Otherwise, any student of the Science, Commerce, or Arts stream can pursue a career in law.

Academic path for a career in engineering

To pursue a career in engineering one must opt for the Science stream at 10+2 level with PCM (physics, chemistry, maths). After completing class 12 you must appear for different engineering entrance exams like JEE Main, GATE, VITEEE, BITSAT, etc. to name a few. Once you clear the entrance exam, you need to appear for counseling after which you will be awarded a course based on your choice and rank. After B.Tech one can go for M.Tech in the same branch as B.Tech. One can also go for an MBA degree. Here is a list of the top 10 engineering colleges in India.

Top 10 Engineering Colleges

Sr. No.	College	Entrance Exam
1.	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay	JEE Advanced
2.	Indian Institute of Technology Delhi	JEE Advanced
3.	Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur	JEE Advanced
4.	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	JEE Advanced
5.	Indian Institute of Technology Madras	JEE Advanced
6.	Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore	GATE
7.	Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani	BITSAT
8.	Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra	JEE Main
9.	BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore	GATE
10.	College of Engineering, Guindy	TNEA

Academic path for a career in law

To pursue a career as a lawyer, one can pursue 10+2 from any stream. After completion of class 12, either you can pursue a 5-year integrated law program or you can go for graduation in any subject and then pursue a 3-year LLB program. A candidate is required to sit for an entrance exam like CLAT, IPU CET, DU LLB, ULSAT, BHU UET Law, AILET, etc. to get admission into a Law college/ course. Here is a list of the top 10 law colleges in India.

Top 10 Law Colleges

Sr. No.	College	Entrance Exam
1.	National Law School of India University, Bangalore	CLAT
2.	National Law University, Delhi	AILET
3.	Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur	LSAT-INDIA
4.	NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad	CLAT
5.	National Law University, Jodhpur	CLAT
6.	WB National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata	CLAT
7.	Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat	LSAT-INDIA CLAT
8.	Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar	CLAT
9.	Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, Delhi	DU LLB
10.	National Law University, Bhopal	CLAT

Job prospects in Engineering vs Law

There are several jobs offered on completion of a degree in engineering or law. With more multinational companies and law firms coming into existence, the demand for engineers and lawyers is also increasing. The average salary for an engineer may vary from Rs. 3.5 to 5 lakhs per annum while that of a lawyer is around Rs. 5 lakhs per annum. A detailed list of different job prospects is given below.

Job prospects for an engineer

An engineer might work in profiles as a mechanical engineer, civil engineer, automobile engineer, software engineer, electronics engineer, electronics and communication engineer, etc. There are several companies such as Infosys, IBM, TCS, Accenture, etc. which hire one after completion of a degree in B.Tech.

Job prospects for a lawyer

After completing a law degree, one can choose to make a career as:

Corporate law (law firms and companies)
Judicial Service
Litigation
Legal Academia
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Public Prosecutor
Intellectual Property law firms
NGOs and Think Tanks
LPO
Judge Advocate General
Tax Law
Legal Journalism

In a nutshell, a student must consider all the factors before deciding on a career prospect. Moreover, a candidate must do a self-check and analysis before coming to any final decision.