Legal Salary Guide 2026
Real salary data from 2,320+ active job listings. Monthly salaries converted to annual equivalents. Updated weekly.
Salary by Experience Level
How seniority affects legal pay (GBP, annual)
Entry Level
£36K - £37K/yr (36)
Mid Level
£50K - £52K/yr (2051)
Senior
£74K - £78K/yr (233)
Highest Paying Practice Areas
Which areas of law pay the most (GBP, annual)
Intellectual Property
£66K - £76K/yr (28)
Corporate Law
£68K - £69K/yr (72)
Energy Law
£69K - £69K/yr (4)
Antitrust Law
£65K - £65K/yr (2)
Contract Law
£63K - £65K/yr (193)
Employment Law
£61K - £63K/yr (82)
Regulatory Compliance
£56K - £62K/yr (22)
Litigation
£55K - £59K/yr (264)
General Practice
£50K - £53K/yr (1253)
Tax Law
£48K - £48K/yr (5)
Immigration Law
£48K - £48K/yr (19)
Healthcare Law
£48K - £48K/yr (3)
Real Estate Law
£47K - £47K/yr (7)
Compliance
£44K - £46K/yr (268)
Criminal Law
£41K - £45K/yr (12)
Salary by Employer Type
Law firm vs in-house vs government (GBP, annual)
Technology
£87K - £96K/yr (2)
Corporation
£52K - £55K/yr (2314)
Law Firm
£45K - £45K/yr (2)
How We Calculate These Salaries
Our salary data comes directly from 2,320+ active job listings on LegalAlphabet. We aggregate salary ranges from real postings, not surveys or estimates. Monthly salaries are converted to annual equivalents (monthly x 12) for consistent comparison.
All figures are in GBP as posted by employers. Data is refreshed weekly as new jobs are added and expired listings are removed.
Factors That Affect Legal Salaries
📍
Country & City
Location is the biggest factor. A corporate lawyer in New York earns vastly more than one in Nairobi.
⚖️
Practice Area
M&A, capital markets, and tech law command premium salaries. Public interest pays less but offers stability.
📈
Experience (PQE)
Entry-level associates earn 40-60% less than senior counsel. The jump to partner is the biggest leap.
🏢
Employer Type
Large international firms pay 30-50% more than boutique practices. In-house roles offer better work-life balance.
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