Aug 23, 2021

Written By AllAboutLaw

Law Firm Salary Index

Aug 23, 2021

Written By AllAboutLaw

Go on, admit it: you’re pretty interested in how much you could earn as a solicitor. We’ve compiled a list of the starting trainee solicitor salaries on offer at some of the top law firms in the UK. Although we try to be accurate, salaries may vary from those shown and this table should only be used as a guide.

Law Firm: Addleshaw Goddard

Starting Salary:

- £40,000 London

- £27,500 Manchester and Leeds

Second Year Salary:

- £43,000 London

- £29,500 Manchester and Leeds

Law Firm: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Starting Salary: £48,000

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £131,000

Law Firm: Ashurst

Starting Salary: £47,000

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £90,000

Law Firm: Baker McKenzie LLP

Starting Salary: £48,000

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £87,500

Law Firm: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Starting Salary:

- £44,000 London

- £27,000 Manchester

Second Year Salary:

- £48,000 London

- £30,000 Manchester

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £80,000 London

- Manchester Undisclosed

Law Firm: Bird & Bird

Starting Salary: £40,000

Second Year Salary: £44,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £71,000

Law Firm: BLM

Starting Salary:

- £22,000 Regional

- £31,000 London

Second year Salary:

- £23,000 Regional

- £32,000 London

Newly Qualified Salary

- £31,000 Regional

- £45,000 London

Law Firm: Bristows LLP

Starting Salary: £39,500

Second Year Salary: £42,500

Newly Qualified Salary: £66,000

Law Firm: Browne Jacobson LLP

Starting Salary:

- £35,000 London

- £26,000 Regional

Second Year Salary:

- £36,500 London

- £27,000 Regional

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £60,000 London

- £36,500 Regional

Law Firm: Burges Salmon

Starting Salary: £36,000

Second Year Salary: £37,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £52,500

Law Firm: Cleary Gottlieb

Starting Salary: £50,000

Second Year Salary: £55,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £133,000

Law Firm: Clifford Chance

Starting Salary: £48,000

Second Year Salary: £54,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £100,000

Law Firm: CMS UK

Starting Salary:

- £44,500 London

- £38,500 Bristol

- £28,500 Manchester and Sheffield

Second Year Salary:

- £49,750 London

- £40,000 Bristol

- £31,500 Manchester and Sheffield

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £75,000 London

- £40,500 Bristol

- £31,500 Manchester and Sheffield

Law Firm: Dechert LLP

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £50,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £120,000

Law Firm: Dentons

Starting Salary:

- £45,000 London

- £31,00 Milton Keynes

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £80,000 London

- £50,000 Milton Keynes

Law Firm: DLA Piper

Starting Salary:

- £46,000 London

- £31,000 Regional

Second Year Salary:

- £51,000 London

- £31,000 Regional

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £88,000 London

- £48,000 Regional

Law Firm: DWF LLP

Starting Salary: £22,000 - £38,000

Law Firm: Farrer & Co

Starting Salary: £39,000

Second Year Salary: £42,500

Newly Qualified Salary: £65,000

Law Firm: Fieldfisher

Starting Salary:

- £37,000 London

- £28,000 Birmingham and Manchester

Second Year Salary:

- £42,500 London

- £29,500 Birmingham and Manchester

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £67,000 London

- £44,000 Birmingham and Manchester

Law Firm: Foot Anstey

Starting Salary: £30,000

Second Year Salary: £32,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £46,000

Law Firm: Freshfields

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £51,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £100,000

Law Firm: Government Legal Services

Starting Salary: £29,000-£37,000

Second Year Salary: £33,000-£40,000

Law Firm: Gowling WLG

Starting Salary:

- £40,000 London

- £28,000 London

Second Year Salary:

- £44,000 London

- £31,000 Birmingham

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £71,000 London

- £44,000 Birmingham

Law Firm: Herbert Smith Freehills

Starting Salary: £44,000

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £107,000

Law Firm: HFW

Starting Salary: £37,000

Second Year Salary: £43,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £66,000

Law Firm: Hill Dickinson

Starting Salary:

- £26,000 Regional

- £37,000 London

Law Firm: Hogan Lovells

Starting Salary: £46,000

Second Year Salary: £51,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £90,000

Law Firm: Ince & Co

Starting Salary: £38,250

Second Year Salary: £42,250

Newly Qualified Salary: £64,000

Law Firm: Irwin Mitchell

Starting Salary:

- £26,500 Regional

- £38,000 London

Second Year Salary:

- £28,500 Regional

- £40,000 London

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £36,500 - £41,500 Regional

- £50,000 - £60,000 London

Law Firm: Kennedys Law LLP

Starting Salary:

- £38,500 London

- £27,500 Regional

Second Year Salary:

- £41,000 London

- £30,000 Regional

Law Firm: Latham & Watkins

Starting Salary: £46,000

Second Year Salary: £50,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £145,000

Law Firm: Lewis Silkin

Starting Salary: £38,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £62,000

Law Firm: Macfarlanes LLP

Starting Salary: £48,000

Second Year Salary: £52,500

Newly Qualified Salary: £90,000

Law Firm: Mayer Brown

Starting Salary: £47,500

Second Year Salary: £52,500

Newly Qualified Salary: £95,000

Law Firm: Michelmores

Starting Salary: £27,500

Second Year: £29,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £41,500

Law Firm: Mills & Reeve

Starting Salary: £27,000

Second Year Salary: £28,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £43,000

Law Firm: Norton Rose Fulbright

Starting Salary: £48,000

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £85,000

Law Firm: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £49,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £120,000

Law Firm: Osborne Clarke LLP

Starting Salary:

- £43,000 London and Thames Valley

- £38,000 Bristol

Law Firm: Pennningtons Manches LLP

Starting Salary:

- £30,000 Regional

- £38,000 London

Second Year Salary:

- £32,000 Regional

- £40,000 London

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £50,000 Regional

- £62,000 London

Law Firm: Pinsent Masons

Starting Salary:

- £28,000 Regional

- £42,500 London

Second Year Salary:

- £31,000 Regional

- £46,000 London

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £44,000 Regional

- £72,500 London

Law Firm: PwC

Starting Salary: £39,000

Law Firm: Reed Smith

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £49,000

Law Firm: RPC

Starting Salary:

- £40,000 London

- £35,000 Bristol

Second Year Salary:

- £44,000 London

- £36,000 Bristol

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £68,000 London

- £48,000 Bristol

Law Firm: Shearman & Sterling

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £50,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £135,000

Law Firm: Skadden

Starting Salary: £50,000

Second Year Salary: £55,000

Newly Qualified: £133,000

Law Firm: Shoosmiths

Starting Salary:

- £38,000 London

- £27,000 Regional

Second Year Salary:

- £39,000 London

- £28,000 Regional

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £65,000 London

- Regional Undisclosed

Law Firm: Sidley Austin LLP

Starting Salary: £50,000

Second Year Salary: £55,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £148,500

Law Firm: Simmons & Simmons

Starting Salary:

- £46,000 London

- £40,500 Bristol

Second Year Salary:

- £50,500 London

- £42,500 Bristol

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £88,000 London

- £56,000 Bristol

Law Firm: Slaughter and May

Starting Salary: £47,000

Second Year Salary: £52,500

Newly Qualified Salary: £90,500

Law Firm: Squire Patton Boggs

Starting Salary:

- £37,000 London

- £26,000 Regional

Second Year Salary:

- £42,000 London

- £28,000 Regional

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £60,000 London

- £39,000 Regional

Law Firm: Stephenson Harwood

Starting Salary: £43,000

Second Year Salary: £47,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £75,000

Law Firm: Taylor Wessing

Starting Salary: £45,000

Second Year Salary: £49,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £81,000

Law Firm: Travers Smith

Starting Salary: £46,500

Second Year Salary: £52,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £85,000-£110,500

Law Firm: TLT Solicitors

Starting Salary:

- £39,500 London

- £33,000 Bristol

- £28,500 Manchester

Second Year Salary:

- £42,500 London

- £35,000 Bristol

- £30,500 Manchester

Newly Qualified Salary:

- £67,000 London

- £48,500 Bristol

- £42,500 Manchester

Law Firm: Weil Gotshal & Manges

Starting Salary: £50,000

Second Year: £55,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £145,000

Law Firm: White & Case LLP

Starting Salary: £50,000

Second Year Salary: £55,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £130,000

Law Firm: Withers LLP

Starting Salary: £37,000

Second Year Salary: £40,000

Newly Qualified Salary: £68,000

Law Firm: Womble Bond Dickinson

Starting Salary:

- £38,000 London

-£30,000 Bristol and Southampton

- £28,000 Plymouth

- £27,000 Leeds

- £26,000 Newcastle

Second Year Salary:

- £40,000 London

- £32,000 Bristol and Southampton

- £30,000 Plymouth

- £29,000 Leeds

- £26,000 Newcastle

Newly Qualified:

- £65,000 London

Law Careers