Legal Cheek data shines spotlight on juniors’ salaries 💷
Legal Cheek has compiled an official round-up of the newly qualified (NQ) salaries available across the country’s leading law firms.
Whether you’re interested in the mega pay packets up for grabs in the London offices of US law firms, or the more modest earnings available at regional players that provide better work-life balance, our comprehensive rundown has got you covered.
The latest figures show firms have boosted NQ salaries by an average of 4% over the last year. The uptick comes despite Legal Cheek research showing a reduction in average working hours for junior lawyers across the City and beyond, amid reduced demand in legal services across several practice areas.
Topping the table this year are the usual suspects — a host of US firms. Whilst demanding 12 hour+ days in the office, at the top five firms juniors can expect to take home upwards of £170,000!
Whilst there were no pay reductions across the 100 + firms surveyed, there were some significant rises over the past 12 months. The biggest of these came in the shape of a 16% bump for NQs at Magic Circle duo Linklaters and Allen & Overy, both outfits hiking pay from £107,500 a year to £125,000.
You can view all our salary data, including rates for trainees, on our 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List.
How much will I earn as a newly qualified solicitor? 💷
| Law firm |
NQ salary |
| Milbank |
£183,409* |
| Vinson & Elkins |
£173,822 |
| Akin Gump |
£173,254** |
| Kirkland & Ellis |
£173,254** |
| Latham & Watkins |
£173,254** |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell |
£165,000 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges |
£165,000 |
| Paul Hastings |
£164,000 |
| Gibson Dunn |
£161,700 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton |
£160,500 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
£160,000 |
| Goodwin Procter |
£160,000 |
| Sidley Austin |
£159,500 |
| Fried Frank |
£158,000 |
| King & Spalding |
£156,000 |
| Cooley |
£150,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher |
£150,000 |
| Ropes & Gray |
£147,000 |
| Dechert |
£145,000 |
| Jones Day |
£145,000 |
| Shearman & Sterling |
£145,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell |
£145,000 |
| Orrick |
£140,000 |
| White & Case |
£140,000 |
| Allen & Overy |
£125,000 |
| Clifford Chance |
£125,000 |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
£125,000 |
| Linklaters |
£125,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills |
£120,000 |
| Hogan Lovells |
£120,000 |
| Mayer Brown |
£120,000 |
| Baker McKenzie |
£118,000 |
| Ashurst |
£115,000 |
| Macfarlanes |
£115,000 |
| Slaughter and May |
£115,000 |
| K&L Gates |
£110,000 |
| Travers Smith |
£110,000 |
| Katten Muchin Rosenman |
£108,000 |
| Reed Smith |
£107,500 |
| Simmons & Simmons |
£107,500 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner |
£105,000 |
| CMS |
£105,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright |
£105,000 |
| DLA Piper |
£100,000 |
| Squire Patton Boggs |
£100,000 |
| Taylor Wessing |
£100,000 |
| Addleshaw Goddard |
£95,000 |
| Bird & Bird |
£95,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland |
£95,000 |
| Fieldfisher |
£95,000 |
| HFW |
£95,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood |
£95,000 |
| Watson Farley & Williams |
£95,000 |
| Dentons |
£92,000 |
| Gowling WLG |
£92,000 |
| Pinsent Masons |
£92,000 |
| Osborne Clarke |
£91,500 |
| Mischon de Reya |
£90,000 |
| Withers |
£90,000 |
| Bristows |
£88,000 |
| Shoosmiths |
£87,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys |
£85,000 |
| RPC |
£85,000 |
| Farrer & Co |
£83,000 |
| Clyde & Co |
£80,000 |
| Forsters |
£80,000 |
| Kennedys |
£80,000 |
| Trowers & Hamlins |
£80,000 |
| Wiggin |
£79,000 |
| Harbottle & Lewis |
£78,000 |
| Howard Kennedy |
£78,000 |
| Lewis Silkin |
£78,000 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson |
£78,000 |
| Gateley |
£75,000 |
| Irwin Mitchell |
£75,000 |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper |
£75,000 |
| TLT |
£75,000 |
| Wedlake Bell |
£75,000 |
| Hill Dickinson |
£72,000 |
| Michelmores |
£72,000 |
| Bates Wells |
£70,000 |
| Burges Salmon |
£68,000 |
| Winckworth Sherwood |
£67,000 |
| Birketts |
£65,000 |
| RWK Goodman |
£62,000 |
| Stevens & Bolton |
£62,000 |
| Foot Anstey |
£60,000 |
| Walker Morris |
£60,000 |
| Weightmans |
£60,000 |
| Mills & Reeve |
£58,000 |
| Ashfords |
£57,000 |
| Brabners |
£50,000 |
| Fletchers |
£36,750 |
| Express Solicitors |
£33,000 |
| Accutrainee |
Not applicable |
| Bevan Brittan |
Undisclosed |
| DWF Group |
Undisclosed |
| Greenberg Traurig |
Undisclosed |
| Kingsley Napley |
Undisclosed |
| Russell-Cooke |
Undisclosed |
| Shakespeare Martineau |
Undisclosed |
*Law firm pays London-based newly qualified lawyers $225,000. GBP figure calculated via XE.com on 8 November 2023.
**Law firm pays London-based newly qualified lawyers $215,000. GBP figure calculated via XE.com on 6 November 2023.
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