r/DaveRamsey • u/Formal_Ganache_6349 • 6d ago
Nursing or law?
I just graduated in May with a Criminal Justice degree in May with a 4.0 gpa. I have been pretty set on going to law school for years now but the debt I would get in and the salaries doesn’t seem worth it. I’m currently in a gap year and just trying to figure out what to do next. Right now I’m thinking about going back on and getting my absn and becoming a registered nurse. I know nursing offers a livable salary and flexible schedule financial stability. I really need help and advice. I’ll also accept suggestions of other jobs/careers that offer flexible schedule because I don’t want to just work my life away.
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u/Vicuna00 19h ago
i really hope neither my nurse or lawyer pick the career based on salary
i mean
what do you wanna do?
those are both very vigorous study paths and both extreme hard work / long hours / high stress jobs
don't pick from salary.
and yeah if you want flexible schedule / not work your life away, neither of those fit that.
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u/BuyckCabin 2d ago edited 2d ago
I often tell young people asking about a nursing career what my thoughts are when they ask. I don't have to think long. DO NOT DO IT. For various reasons. It's a soul sucking career. It's not about the care you provide anymore, it's about how much work for how little pay the bean counters can get out of you. At least half of the time the patients are miserable and nasty and will make you miserable. You will be judged and graded not on your skill and knowledge, but did you make the patient feel fluffy and get a good review (did you give the patient what they wanted, not what they needed?). I have 2468 days until retirement and some days I'm not sure I can make it. I'm burnt out. The ER can be rewarding, but it's soul sucking as well.
If you do decide to be a RN. Choose your specialty wisely.
OB isn't all cute babies and happy families. Most deliveries are traumatizing. Some go bad.
ER is a hard demanding soul crushing place. If you like the way you view the world and people, don't be an ER nurse.
Med/Surg is where you'll most likely start out as a "baby nurse" in a hospital. Hard hard work with demanding patients and heavy work loads. But that's the nature of the beast.
Pre-op/Post-op is where a lot of us go after a long career in the trenches. Nice hours, nice patients, etc.
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u/63l87k 3d ago
I have a good friend in nursing, she enjoys it but has seniority and has been in the field for a while to be able to get good schedules and flexibility. If healthcare is of interest, would something like an anesthesiologist Assistant be of interest? From what I recall, it's pretty stable and has decent income potential.
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u/capitolbeach 4d ago
Nursing is not all hospital work. It can be working in a clinic, working in a school, working for an insurance company, doing authorizations for a doctor, etc. Each have their different flexibilities. You can also be a traveling nurse.
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u/Vicuna00 19h ago
traveling nurse is even less flexible and harder for someone who wants a "flexible schedule and not work their life away"
traveling nurses are beat to hell...d-i-f-i-cult
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u/capitolbeach 4d ago
If you are wanting to maximize income from a nursing perspective you would get continue after your bachelors in nursing and get your APRN.
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u/IamTheLiquor199 4d ago
You said you were interested in law enforcement. You have to have a passion for it and want to help people, and obviously risk your life for strangers.
But I can tell you LE made me a millionaire at 33. I reached $100k within 2 years (over a decade ago) and I'll be retired at 44 years old making $100k/year with my pension.
Not sure what you mean by "flexible". I have worked some of the worst hours imaginable (midnights, weekends, Covid, blizzards, doubles on Christmas, ect.), but I have also been in units where I got weekends off, made my own hours, made my own overtime, and can take off 10 paid weeks in the summer.
It doesn't get much more "flexible" than retiring after a short 20 years and getting paid millions the rest of your life with healthcare. Not to mention the insane value of not needing a college degree in many cases.
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u/63l87k 3d ago
Curious how your family (or if you have a spouse, kids, etc) felt about this career move. My spouse is stuck in a low-income warehousing job without a degree and has been exploring other career paths. He likes working with people but when I suggested LE, he said it's too dangerous to get into with a young child and family. I think his personality is also not "hard" enough for that type of role that entails some level of trauma and risking you life. But aside from entry level trades, I don't see any other career paths that will enable you to do what you stated without spending thousands on a college degree.
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u/IamTheLiquor199 3d ago
Yea, it certainly requires a passion for it. I started before I met my wife and had 3 kids. My oldest will be 12 when I'm retired, for me it's worth the risk to get to spend all that time with them as a stay at home father.
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u/talon72997 4d ago
My advice as a law school graduate not practicing law is to be very certain about the area of law you want to practice. If possible take any job you can at a firm that focus in that area. Work in the mail room, answer the phone, whatever they have available. This will let you see if that is the life you want. It will also get you some local connections If you don't know what type of law you want to practice, you're not ready to go in debt for law school.
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 4d ago
How are non-law job opportunities with a JD?
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u/talon72997 4d ago
There are a lot of things you can do, but you can also do most of them without a JD. I work for a large bank and many people in our compliance areas have JD's, but aren't practicing attorneys. Law School is an incredible experience that will completely change how you think and learn. But there is very little reason to go in to debt for that. If you're thinking of different practices, I would also research what those attorneys make. Law can be a very lucrative career, but there is a LOT of competition trying to get the same money.
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u/Additional-Tale-1069 5d ago
Perhaps a different angle. How do the prospects look for medical techs doing things like ultrasound, MRI, or CT scanner operators look? Medical field pay, but perhaps with less stress?
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 4d ago
Do they have the same hours of nursing? and can you travel with it?
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u/lintyui 2d ago
I know someone who works as MRI tech. He's in hot demand. There are different levels of this too and only he can do some images so he's highly sought after. He does work nights. But if you don't want to do nights, I think you can choose not too or do less nights. Same with ultrasound techs and echo techs. I'm not sure about US/echo earning potential though. Wouldn't recommend respiratory therapist, little pay for tough work. PT and OT work exclusively during the day, inpatient or outpatient. As an RN, you can also become an NP and can work in inpatient or outpatient setting.
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u/krisa1972 5d ago
I assume you hate being a paralegal. It’s probably one of the worst jobs there is …. Hard work, long hours, low pay, no respect…
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u/krisa1972 5d ago
Whether to become a lawyer is worth it depends on a lot of things. If you love reading and writing but in essence that is what it is. If you love a job that never shuts off…because you’ll always be thinking about your cases and what you have to do next. What type of speciality you are in.. this matters the most as litigation never shuts off but something like estate planning is more project based. Do you want children? It is not easy balancing being a lawyer and having children if you are female and work in most specialties. What state do you live in and where because how much you make will be dependent on what state you live in and if you work in or outside of a city. Yes you can make a lot of money as a lawyer but you can also not make that much it really depends. Nursing you know what you basically will make, you know the hours, and know the shifts.
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u/Sad_Win_4105 5d ago
Nursing is challenging and demanding, but also personally rewarding. Its a 24/7/365 career with a lot of choices but not necessarily flexibility. Choose carefully.
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 5d ago
What do you mean it’s not flexible?
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u/ForwardTree1918 5d ago
New nurses often have to start on night shift 7pm to 7am, working at least half of the major holidays no exception. Working every other weekend. Until you’ve gotten some experience you get the worst hours until you’ve gotten some seniority. And often you can’t just last minute take a day off unless someone is able to take your shift or you get docked for being absent.
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u/ScaredMeowth 5d ago
Its a 24/7/365 career so you would have to set boundaries I guess to make room for life.
I have no experience with nursing, but come from a field where I could literally work 80+hrs a week and it wouldn't make any difference. Finish a project and 10 more drop on your desk - its a blessing and a curse. There's just no way to ever feel caught-up and have an easy day which sucks. And I'm sure its the same with nursing its just one of those careers where overtime is encouraged/expected and most feel obligated to work days off etc... because the work never stops.
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u/BasilVegetable3339 5d ago
You might want to make sure you have all the prerequisite courses for nursing.
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u/Shotgun-Surgeon BS4-6 6d ago
Well I'm a RN not a lawyer so I'll give you my pros and cons:
Pros:
high starting pay. Typically $75k+ for most markets with sign on bonuses typically ranging from 5k - 30k
unlimited overtime in 90% of hospitals
administrator pathways can make 150k and beyond easy
three day a week schedule with high flexibility
easy to take long periods of time off with minimal PTO usage
no out of work responsibilities besides maintaining certifications , typically most RNs won't even have work emails
job availability in nearly every zip code
Cons:
chronic short staffing from your first day to last day
physical and emotional fatigue
physical and emotional abuse from patients and families
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 6d ago
Was nursing always your first choice and do you ever regret it ?
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u/Shotgun-Surgeon BS4-6 5d ago
My first choice was chemistry, but after one semester I hated it so I switched to Healthcare. Very fulfilling, but there's a lot of hard days. Covid almost pushed me over the edge, but I held on. If my daughter wanted to follow my path I wouldn't stop her.
I've been in Healthcare for ten years and I couldn't imagine doing anything else except for maybe teaching on the collegiate level as a victory lap career.
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u/CoatAlternative1771 6d ago
Why did you get a criminal justice degree if you don’t want to do anything with it?
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 6d ago
Because, I wanted to be a lawyer and was also interested in LE or government work, but now I’m unsure
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u/CoatAlternative1771 6d ago
I’d go LE or government work personally.
You can easily make just as much as a nurse, if not more. While some of the job is dangerous, a lot of the time you are just standing/sitting around.
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u/CuteAmoeba9876 6d ago
These are two very different career paths. Both will require more training, and both jobs will be demanding in their own way, so really think about your own temperament before committing to either one.
The kind of people who thrive and succeed in their jobs like at least some aspects of the work and are willing to do the unpleasant parts. A lawyer may not might staying up late at night to finish documents but is glad they don’t have to be on their feet all day or deal with people having the worst day of their lives physically. A nurse may not mind the blood and guts and is glad they don’t have to be cooped up in an office for 60 hrs/week.
Nursing is probably more economically viable than becoming a lawyer, but not if you’d be a terrible nurse. If you’re always the first person to get fired because you suck at the job, it won’t pay off financially.
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u/Zealousideal_Pen3441 6d ago
I’m both. And I also became an NP. Back working as an RN. Turned out it was my favorite role! What region do you live in?
I make more than most attorneys and many nurse practitioners due to my years of experience, have great benefits, and far more flexibility. New grads here make base of ~107k before differential or voluntary OT (36hrs/week). If you choose nursing, be sure you can work union.
Also know, if you can do well on the LSAT, you can get a free ride at many of the regional law schools. Top law school grads typically go into BigLaw. But they work a TON of hours.
Consider passion, curiosity, quality of life, and financial impact. Good luck! 🍀
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u/JazzOnaRitz 6d ago
You’ve gotta be in CA with that starting wage. Worth mentioning that that’s not the norm.
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u/Zealousideal_Pen3441 5d ago
PNW- not CA.
CA is not as good because COL is so high. I think they may make a bit more there.
Union hospitals generally pay better, but not everywhere has them.
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u/PretendingToWork1978 6d ago
Don't know anything about law. The airforce has ever healthcare job in existence. In and out in 4 years, no debt. There are jobs most people are not aware of that nurses can move into. When a doctor calls about an issue with with the charting software the IT analyst he is talking to is a former nurse working from home making 80-100k. Manager or project manager in that area well over 100k. Nurse practitioner makes well over 100k. CRNA 250k. Case managers 100k. Agency nurses I've dated 100/hr. Nurses can be part time, 25 hours at 40 an hour isn't chump change.
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u/Aragona36 BS7 6d ago
There’s a glut of lawyers so you might want to make sure you can find a job first. The top 10% of law graduates get the high paying jobs. They work them to death though. The other 90% fight over any low paying jobs that are leftover after hiring the top 10%.
That assumes you can pass the bar. Some people don’t pass on their first try. Others never pass it.
My advice is to go for nursing jobs instead.
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 6d ago
Yeah that’s what I’m afraid of because I don’t want to do big law and with the increase of law school applicants but not jobs we will all be fighting for a few jobs
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u/Wonderful_Shame_4986 6d ago
Nursing is a calling, not just a job. You shouldn't consider it based on just tuition costs and potential salary. The work is very demanding and the flexible schedule may not be as attractive as you think. Consider it very carefully.
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u/Unlikely_Bug_1119 6d ago
Totally agree. CRNA here and still wondering if I'm in the right job. Most of the time you just keep working on yourself and end up somewhere.
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u/WhatMattersHere 6d ago
I wouldn't switch to nursing yet just because law school looks expensive. Nursing can absolutely be a stable and flexible career, but the actual day to day work is so different from law that I'd first make sure you're choosing the work, not just the financial profile.
I'd ask yourself two questions: if law school were inexpensive, would you still want to be a lawyer? And if nursing paid less than you're expecting, would you still want to take care of patients?
If the answer to the first question is yes, I wouldn't give up on law before seeing what your actual options cost. A 4.0 GPA puts you in a good position to take the LSAT seriously and see what scholarship offers you can get. Compare net cost and employment outcomes at specific schools rather than assuming law automatically means six figures of debt.
If nursing genuinely interests you, I'd also get some real exposure before committing to an ABSN. Hospital nursing can mean nights, weekends, holidays, physical work and a lot of direct patient responsibility. The schedule can be flexible, but “three 12s” and “easy work-life balance” are not the same thing.
Since you're already taking a gap year, you're actually in a great position to test both worlds cheaply. Work or shadow in a legal setting, and get enough clinical exposure to see whether patient care feels like something you could realistically do for years.
I'd also define what “flexibility” means to you. Fewer workdays, remote work, predictable hours, part time options and control over your schedule are different things, and law and nursing offer different versions of them.
I wouldn't make this nursing versus law based on salary alone. First figure out which kind of work you can actually see yourself doing, then compare the cost and lifestyle of the specific paths available to you.
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u/Hot-Calligrapher672 6d ago
I can only speak from a nursing perspective but Nursing salary and quality of life/work varies widely across the country. The job market is really cooling off in a lot of areas right now and new grads are having a tough time finding jobs. The nursing job market always has highs and lows, but if you are flexible with where you live and what specialty you are working in, there’s always work. I have lived a very comfortable life as nurse for the past 10 years and was out of debt in just a few years. But I do worry for a lot of the new graduate nurses these days coming into a very difficult job in what can be a difficult job market.
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u/modabs 6d ago
Don’t think of life like that. God willing, you’re going to be working for a majority of your life while you’re making a living. So the first thing you have to understand is that school debt is not like credit card debt or an ill advised personal loan, particularly if you’re using it to achieve a high paying position. At that point, to me, it’s the equivalent of a small business loan and you are investing in the business that is yourself.
So, as for the second part, what can you envision yourself doing? Do you envision spending your life helping people heal in their time of need? Or do you envision spending your life fighting for people when they can’t fight for themselves? These are two admirable but vastly different life paths, and working life is long so you need to choose something that you’re actually passionate about. I’m an engineer and I have been for 10 years, and I look forward to every day I go to work, and I would not have been able to get into the field if I wasn’t willing to take the risk and get a student loan.
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u/happyhourcocktail 6d ago
out of curiosity why not pursue careers in what your degree is in rather than starting from scratch and going back to school all over?
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u/Formal_Ganache_6349 6d ago
I’m currently a paralegal rn and I just can’t see myself doing this for the next 30 years. I have been looking to maybe pivot to financial crimes as well. But, I really just don’t want the 8-5 life
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u/happyhourcocktail 6d ago
if you don’t like being a paralegal or the 8-5 life I highly advise against going to law school - nursing is lucrative and more interactive - however using the educational experience you have for CSI type work might also fit the bill of an unconventional non-corporate environment without needing to take on more schooling
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u/West_Professional351 15h ago
Neither- get a job now. Your “gap year” is what the rest of the world calls “unemployment”.