What's a better career?

I'm thinking about what I want to do with my life and have narrowed it down to a couple of options. Obviously the decision will ultimately be my responsibility, but any insight you could offer me into any of these jobs would be helpful.

So...should I attempt to become a:
A) Management Consultant
B) Corporate Lawyer
or C) Venture Capitalist

I realize that all of these are intensely competitive fields, but let's just pretend that I'm looking at the top end of the profession, coming from the right school, etc. etc.

I'm wondering how substantial the differences in compensation are between each career path..the hours, how interesting the work is....

Any help would be appreciated.

We'll I've been all three and can say law just wasn't for me. I enjoyed doing consulting work immensely and branched out of that business to doing venture work for start-ups and that is a little stressful. In my opinion, the pay in law just didn't justify the stress, long hours and moral dilemnas the career is known for. In consulting, you can basically make whatever you want if you are controlling the clients for whom you work. If you are not, then you better hope for a long contract and a willing client or you will be miserable. And, you are basically tied into billable hours and the contract terms. A lot depends on whether you own the company or you are working for a corporation as well. The sky is the limit when you work for yourself and you are paid within corporate perameters if you don't.

There is no answer because there is tremendous variation in each field. Some corporate lawyers are multi-millionaires, some make just a decent 6-figure living, and some are in jail. the same is true of the other professions (except possibly the jail).

Go to school, study and learn, and you will be able to decide what you like. The money is good but it is not as important as the satisfaction you get from a job.