Welcome to the Salary & Benefits Guide for Legal. This guide intends to provide insight and guidance into salary trends across Legal in Private Practice.
2023 will be a year of increased pressure for Legal professions, as firms are expected to save money whilst retaining and recruiting high quality talent in the midst of a skills shortage. Our research revealed that 80% of Legal candidates received a pay rise in the past year, with one in five receiving a 10% or higher increase in their salary.
London
Find out the remuneration packages and salary brackets for those in Legal roles in London.
UK Regions
Find out the remuneration packages and salary brackets for those in Legal roles across the UK.
Scotland
Find out the remuneration packages and salary brackets for those in Legal roles across Scotland.
Middle East
Find out the remuneration packages and salary brackets for those in Legal roles across the Middle East.
London
2022 was a turbulent year for the Legal sector, as market shifts rooted in changing dynamics of the workforce. With ongoing geopolitical instability, volatile markets and economic uncertainty, the demand for talented legal professionals is expected to rise even further.
Demand will be further magnified by employees prioritising family, mental health and work life balance, with 51% of employees considering a career change in the next year. This will have a knock on effect to the ongoing skills shortage, of which 54% of employers stated was either ‘moderate’ or ‘extreme’.
Legal clients cited the soft skills most needed in their organisations in 2023 as; working effectively (59%), problem solving (50%), critical thinking (45%) and emotional intelligence (45%).However, this is not reflected by candidates, listing people management (41%), influencing (33%), critical thinking (33%) and negotiation (33%) as the skills needed to progress. This demonstrates that employees don’t fully understand the skills their employers are looking for, both in order to further their career and achieve organisational success.
London City Firm
Years post qualifed
Salary per Annum GBP
Partner
£160,000+
6yrs' PQE
£140,000 - £160,000
5yrs' PQE
£130,000 - £150,000
4 yrs' PQE
£120,000 - £140,000
3 yrs' PQE
£110,000 - £135,000
2 yrs' PQE
£100,000 - £120,000
1 yr PQE
£90,000 - £110,000
Newly-qualified
£80,000 - £100,000
Magic Circle
Years post qualifed
Salary per Annum GBP
Partner
£450,000+
6yrs' PQE
£165,000 - £180,000
5yrs' PQE
£145,000 - £165,000
4 yrs' PQE
£140,000 - £155,000
3 yrs' PQE
£125,000 - £150,000
2 yrs' PQE
£125,000 - £140,000
1 yr PQE
£115,000 - £130,000
Newly-qualified
£110,000 - £125,000
US Firm (Mid-Atlantic)
Years post qualifed
Salary per Annum GBP
Partner
£200,000+
6yrs' PQE
£150,000 - £170,000
5yrs' PQE
£140,000 - £160,000
4 yrs' PQE
£130,000 - £150,000
3 yrs' PQE
£120,000 - £140,000
2 yrs' PQE
£110,000 - £130,000
1 yr PQE
£100,000 - £120,000
Newly-qualified
£90,000 - £110,000
US Firm (New York)
Years post qualifed
Salary per Annum GBP
Partner
£300,000+
6yrs' PQE
£210,000 - £230,000
5yrs' PQE
£200,000 - £220,000
4 yrs' PQE
£190,000 - £210,000
3 yrs' PQE
£180,000 - £200,000
2 yrs' PQE
£170,000 - £190,000
1 yr PQE
£160,000 - £180,000
Newly-qualified
£140,000 - £170,000
West End Firm
Years post qualifed
Salary per Annum GBP
Partner
£140,000+
6yrs' PQE
£125,000 - £140,000
5yrs' PQE
£115,000 - £135,000
4 yrs' PQE
£110,000 - £125,000
3 yrs' PQE
£100,000 - £115,000
2 yrs' PQE
£95,000 - £110,000
1 yr PQE
£75,000 - £95,000
Newly-qualified
£65,000 - £80,000
Download Tables
Our 2023 Salary Guides provide a comprehensive resource for the latest remuneration and recruitment trends affecting Legal.
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We’ve been providing Business Growth, Talent Management and Recruitment solutions to the General Insurance, Financial Services and Legal sectors since 2006.
Our 2023 Salary & Benefits Guide for Legal features extensive survey data and invaluable insights, and provides insight into market sentiment and industry outlooks for the future.
