— Occupational IQ research
Lawyers — average IQ & cognitive profile
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Avg IQ
122
Percentile
93th
SD above mean
+1.47
Strongest axes
Verbal reasoning
Published occupational IQ research consistently places lawyers at an average IQ of around 122 — the 93th percentile of the general adult population. This sits well above the population mean and reflects the cognitive demands of the role.
— Try one before you read on
Which number completes the sequence: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
Differences grow by 2 each time: +4, +6, +8, +10, +12 → 30+12=42.
That was 1 question. Take the full 20-min test →
Why lawyers cluster at this level
→Pause. Find out YOUR IQ before you keep reading.Law school relies on the LSAT, which is itself a strong proxy for verbal reasoning and logic. Legal practice rewards verbal precision, written argumentation, and structured analytical thinking.
What this number really means
→Curious how YOU score? 20-min calibrated test.An occupational IQ average is a statistical mean, not a hiring criterion. The within-profession standard deviation is typically 10-15 IQ points, which means:
- There are highly successful lawyers scoring well above 137
- And highly successful lawyers scoring well below 107
- Conscientiousness, domain knowledge, emotional regulation, and motivation account for far more variance in actual job performance than the difference between, say, IQ 115 and IQ 125 does
Find out YOUR exact IQ
Take a 20-minute calibrated test and see how you compare — not just on overall IQ, but across all six cognitive axes.
How to interpret your own score against this average
→The numbers above? Find out where YOU land.If you're considering this profession or already in it, here's how to read a personal IQ result in context:
- If you score 112–132: you're right in the typical range for lawyers
- If you score above 137: you have meaningful cognitive headroom; you'll likely find the abstract demands of the role easier than peers
- If you score below 107: the profession is still entirely accessible to you — many lawyers succeed at this level — but you may rely more on persistence, structured systems, and specialisation than peers do
Related profession comparisons
→Knowing about IQ ≠ knowing yours. Take the test.- Engineers — average IQ 121
- CEOs — average IQ 121
- Doctors (MD) — average IQ 124
- Software Engineers — average IQ 120
- Commercial Pilots — average IQ 119