How much do lawyers earn?

Solicitors and barristers take home some of the highest salaries in the country. Learn more about how much lawyers earn and the factors that affect this

Lawyer salaries in the UK are dependent on a number of different factors so pinpointing average figures can be tricky.

According to job sites such as Indeed and Reed, the average salary for a solicitor in the UK is just under £50,000 a year, although large, London-based and Magic circle firms often pay far in excess of this.

Generally speaking, solicitors earn more than paralegals and barristers have the potential to earn more than solicitors in the long term. However at the outset, as barrister’s are often self-employed, their salaries fluctuate and can vary widely.

Your location, practice area, role, level of experience and the type of firm you work for all affect your earning potential. Here we discuss your how much trainee and newly-qualified solicitors and barristers earn, as well as which legal practice areas pay the most.

How much are trainee lawyers paid?

Technically there is no official minimum salary for trainee solicitors, however The Law Society recommends a minimum of £26,068 for those training in London and £23,122 for trainees elsewhere in the country.

In reality, trainee solicitor salaries vary across the UK and your location is one of the biggest factors affecting what you'll earn.

Firms in London often pay trainees above and beyond the recommended minimum. For example, the Magic Circle (London's five most prestigious law firms) - comprised of A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter and May offer impressive renumeration packages. The first four pay first-year trainees a salary of £56,000, which rises to £61,000 in the second year. Slaughter & May currently buck this trend by offering slightly lower trainees salaries of £50,000 and £55,000.

However, it's USA-based firms (usually found in London) that pay the highest trainee solicitor wages. For example, Kirkland and Ellis pay their first year trainees £60,000, rising to £65,000 in the second year, with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher following suit.

City firms (those in London) pay trainees between £40,000 and £50,000, while firms based in cities outside the capital (Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle) tend to pay less, their pay packets are not to be dismissed. First-year trainee salaries in regional law firms range from £28,000 to £40,000. High street firms typically offer training salaries of £20,000 to £30,000.

Trainee salaries in Scotland are typically lower than the rest of the UK - the Law Society of Scotland's recommended rate is £23,675 for first-year trainees and £27,480 in the second year. To find out more, see solicitor, Scotland.

Trainee solicitors are expected to work long and tiring hours and, at the start of your training contract, client contact will be minimal and the majority of your tasks will be administrative. Qualifying as a solicitor is a long process and the training contract is often the final hurdle. As such, many trainees, especially those at City or Magic Circle firms, are rewarded with high salaries. Read more about the reality of working in law.

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According to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) the current stipulated minimum award for pupil barristers (those completing a one-year pupillage) is £23,078 for pupillages in London and £21,060 for those outside the capital. However, chambers may pay more than this.

The biggest pupillage awards are offered by commercial sets, while publicly-funded work, such as family and criminal sets offer less.

For example, Blackstone Chambers provides pupillage awards of £75,000 in 2024, while One Essex Court provide awards of £80,000 to pupils commencing in 2024/25. One of the highest pupillage awards is offered by XXIV Old Buildings who pay pupil barristers £85,000.

How much are lawyers salaries after qualifying?

As a newly qualified (NQ) lawyer it's likely you'll see a considerable jump in your earnings.

Unsurprisingly newly qualified Magic Circle solicitors take home some of the highest salaries. Slaughter and May's NQs earn £125,000 per annum. While A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields and Linklaters top this at £150,000.

USA-based firms also offer high wages to their newly qualified lawyers:

• Davis Polk & Wardell - £165,000
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher - £180,000
• Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins pay their newly qualified solicitors £168,00.
• White & Case pay recently qualified lawyers £150,000.

As well as higher rates of pay, working for an international firm opens you up to opportunities for travel and work abroad.

Working at a City firm your work/life balance may be compromised but your salary is sure to reflect your hard work. For example:

• Ashurst - £115,000
• CMS - £105,000
• Dentons - £95,000, (London)
• Hogan Lovells - £135,000 (London), £85,000 (Birmingham)
• Norton Rose Fulbright - £105,000
• RPC - £85,000.

You can expect these figures to rise year-on-year as you gain post-qualified experience (PQE).

You'll earn less elsewhere in the country and at smaller firms but will likely progress up the ladder quicker and be given more responsibility earlier on in your career. Salaries for newly qualified lawyers across the rest of the UK are in the region of £40,000 to £70,000.

If you become the partner of a firm you can expect a six-figure salary in a small, regional firm and a seven-figure salary in Magic Circle and USA-based firms.

To find out more about Magic Circle, USA-based and City firms, see top UK law firms.

As a newly qualified solicitor in Scotland, you can expect to be paid around £30,000 rising to £38,000, depending on your area of private practice or whether you're working in house. This can increase to between £36,000 and £62,000 after three years' experience depending on your area of expertise.

Barristers earnings vary widely. On average qualified barristers can take home anything between £50,000 and £200,000.

Which areas of law pay the highest salaries?

Along with your geographical location, the legal practice area you choose to specialise in can have a big impact on your earnings.

You'll find the highest salaries in practice areas that deal with high-profile companies on national and international scales, such as commercial, corporate and intellectual property law.

At the other end of the scale, more personal areas of law are less likely to draw big-figure salaries, as are lawyers working on more local cases in high street firms. Personal injury and family lawyers are two types of law that fall into this group.

However, no matter which specialism you choose, employees in the law sector enjoy some of the highest salaries in the country, with many firms offering bonuses and generous pay rises, as well as benefits such as pension schemes, discounts, health insurance, gym memberships and travel subsidies.

And remember, while it's tempting to let salary information dictate your career choices, don't let the figures deter you from pursuing an area of law that you're really passionate about.

Money isn't everything and there are plenty of other things to take into consideration when mapping out your law career. For example, weighing up which qualification route is right for you, which areas of law hold your interest, what type of firm is the best fit and what kind of working culture you’d like to be a part of (working hours, work/life balance etc).

Find out more

• Find out what solicitors earn during their studies on vacation schemes and law apprenticeships.
• Discover how to become a lawyer.
• Learn more about the skills you'll need for a successful law career.