USA · Local hub

New York City: Wall Street and criminal law pathways

Two careers where New York is the biggest market in the country. Same national route as everywhere else, plus the city's own employers, schools and — for lawyers — New York's own bar rules.

Investment banking Criminal law

Investment banking in New York City

The national route is on the Investment Banking pathway; below is what is specific to New York City.

Metro median pay$167,890U.S.: $78,660

BLS OEWS

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (all-data file)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Checked: 7 Oct 2026

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (code 35620) covers New York City plus nearby counties in New York and New Jersey.

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Top 10% earn over$326,290Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Jobs in the metro59,450New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

BLS counts investment bankers in this wider group; it has no separate investment banker series. BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 41-3031.

The route here

Degree

A bachelor's degree, usually in business, finance or economics; internships count a lot.

BLS

Occupational Outlook HandbookU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Checked: 7 Oct 2026

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First license

SIE exam — open to anyone 18 or older, no firm needed; a pass is valid for four years.

FINRA

Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) ExamFinancial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Open to anyone 18 or older; no firm association needed; a pass stays valid for four years. Re-read 2026-10-20 from the Internet Archive capture of 4 Oct 2026 (finra.org blocks automated reads).

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On the job

Series 79 (Investment Banking Representative) — needs sponsorship by a FINRA member firm.

FINRA

Series 79 — Investment Banking Representative ExamFinancial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Needs sponsorship by a FINRA member firm; the SIE is a corequisite.

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NYC colleges that awarded finance degrees

CUNY Baruch College 827 bachelor's
Pace University 112 bachelor's + master's
St. John's University 104 bachelor's
CUNY Brooklyn College 71 bachelor's
CUNY Queens College 67 bachelor's
Columbia University 27 master's
New York University 17 master's

Counts only programs coded Finance (CIP 52.0801). Business, economics and accounting majors are reported under other codes and are not included, so this is not a list of where banks hire. Source:

NCES IPEDS

IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A)National Center for Education Statistics

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

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· Every U.S. college for this degree →

Criminal law in New York City

The national route is on the Law (Pre-Law to J.D. and the Bar) pathway; below is what is specific to New York City.

Metro median pay$208,880U.S.: $159,670

BLS OEWS

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (all-data file)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Checked: 7 Oct 2026

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (code 35620) covers New York City plus nearby counties in New York and New Jersey.

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Top 10% earn over$391,620Lawyers

Jobs in the metro94,610New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

First-time pass rate, NY law school graduates87%July 2025; 91% for out-of-state ABA graduates

NY BOLE

July 2025 New York State Bar Examination results (press release, 23 Oct 2025)New York State Board of Law Examiners

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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All lawyers in the metro area; BLS does not split prosecutors from defense lawyers. BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 23-1011.

The route here

Law school

A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school (three years full time).

BLS

Occupational Outlook HandbookU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Checked: 7 Oct 2026

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NY bar exam

Pass the UBE, complete the New York Law Course and pass the New York Law Exam and the MPRE.

22 NYCRR 520.9

22 NYCRR § 520.9 — New York Law Course, New York Law Examination and MPRENew York Court of Appeals (text via Legal Information Institute, Cornell)

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Before admission

50 hours of pro bono work, the skills competency requirement, then a character and fitness interview at the Appellate Division.

NY BOLE

Admission to practice in New YorkNew York State Board of Law Examiners

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Exam change

From the July 2028 exam, the NextGen bar exam replaces the UBE in New York.

NY BOLE

New York State Board of Law Examiners — NextGen announcement and exam calendarNew York State Board of Law Examiners

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

Court of Appeals announcement of 8 Jan 2025: NextGen replaces the UBE from the July 2028 New York exam.

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Where criminal lawyers work in the city

Prosecution · stateManhattan District Attorney's Office

Prosecutes crimes in New York County (Manhattan); runs legal training and internship and fellowship programs.

Manhattan DA

Manhattan District Attorney's OfficeNew York County District Attorney

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Prosecution · federalU.S. Attorney's Office, S.D.N.Y.

More than 220 Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The district covers New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan counties.

USAO SDNY

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York — AboutU.S. Department of Justice

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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S.D.N.Y.

About the Southern District of New YorkU.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Defense · federalFederal Defenders of New York

Defends people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford a lawyer, in the Southern and Eastern Districts and the Second Circuit.

Federal Defenders NY

Federal Defenders of New YorkFederal Defenders of New York, Inc.

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Law schools in the city (J.D.s awarded, 2023-24)

Columbia University 523
New York University 523
Fordham University 455
Brooklyn Law School 400
New York Law School 345
Yeshiva University (Cardozo) 311
St. John's University 265
CUNY School of Law 213

Pace and Touro also report J.D.s under a New York City main campus, but their law schools are in White Plains and Central Islip, so they are left out. Source:

NCES IPEDS

IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A)National Center for Education Statistics

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

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Pace

Elisabeth Haub School of Law — Contact and directionsPace University

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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Touro Law

Touro Law CenterTouro University

Checked: 9 Oct 2026

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· Every U.S. college for this degree →

How this page is built

Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, which includes nearby counties outside the city. Colleges: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions. Rules and employers: the official sites linked on each row, checked 9 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not rank schools or recommend paid prep courses.