Which outfits are setting the pace for junior lawyer salaries? 💷
The battle for junior lawyer talent shows little sign of cooling, with Legal Cheek’s latest research revealing the increasingly hefty sums being paid to newly qualified solicitors at 113 of the UK’s top law firms.
On this year’s Firms Most List, Sullivan & Cromwell tops the pay table with an NQ salary of £181,000, while Davis Polk, Gibson Dunn, Paul, Weiss and Willkie are close behind on £180,000. More broadly, US firms continue to dominate the upper reaches of the table, with a sizeable group offering their London NQs upwards of £170,000.
Among the elite UK-headquartered firms, Macfarlanes has boosted NQ pay by £10,000 to £150,000, matching the Magic Circle, which has held firm at that figure since autumn 2024. BCLP has also added £10,000 to reach £125,000, while Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and newly merged Ashurst Perkins Coie both sit at £145,000.
Firms with sizeable UK regional networks have also increased their London NQ rates. Eversheds Sutherland has added £10,000 to reach £120,000, while Pinsent Masons and Gowling WLG have increased pay to £109,000 and £108,000 respectively. Our table reflects London salaries, with regional rates typically lower.
Overall, average NQ pay stands at roughly £118,000, with 49 firms increasing salaries since 2026 and 45 holding steady.
So, how does the full 2027 NQ pay table stack up? Here’s the complete rundown, with more analysis below.
You can view all our salary data, including rates for trainees, on our 2027 Legal Cheek Firms Most List.
How much will I earn as a newly qualified solicitor? 💷
*Law firm pays London-based newly qualified lawyers $225,000. GBP figure calculated by Legal Cheek on 1 August 2026.
One of the clearer themes this year is the size of some of the jumps. No fewer than 11 firms have increased NQ pay by £10,000: Willkie, Orrick, Macfarlanes, DLA Piper, Katten, Reed Smith, Simmons & Simmons, BCLP, Eversheds Sutherland, K&L Gates and Mishcon de Reya. That spread, from US firms to City outfits and those with sizeable regional networks, suggests the battle for top junior talent is still being fought across the market, not just at the very top end.
The £10,000 club is not alone in making sizeable moves. Dentons has lifted NQ pay by £8,500 to £112,500, Cleary Gottlieb by £8,000 to £172,500, and Fieldfisher by £7,000 to £102,000, with further increases recorded across the market.
Six-figure salaries are also becoming increasingly commonplace, with 63 firms on this year’s list now paying their London NQs at least £100,000. For all the talk of AI reshaping junior legal work, the salary market certainly hasn’t got the memo just yet, with firms continuing to pay handsomely to secure top young talent.
You can view all our salary data, including rates for trainees, on our 2027 Legal Cheek Firms Most List.
