Incomes

How Much Do Solicitors Earn in the UK? — 2026 Salary Guide

Complete guide to solicitor salaries in the UK for 2026. Trainee pay, NQ salaries, City vs regional firm pay, practice area differences, partner earnings, and how to maximise your legal career income.

· 4 min read

Law is one of the widest-paying professions in the UK — a newly qualified solicitor can earn anywhere from £35,000 to over £160,000 depending on firm type and location. Here’s the full breakdown.

Trainee Solicitor Salaries

By Firm Type

Firm Type Year 1 Trainee Year 2 Trainee
Magic Circle £48,000-£56,000 £52,000-£60,000
Silver Circle £42,000-£50,000 £46,000-£54,000
US firm (London) £55,000-£65,000 £60,000-£70,000
Top 50 City firm £38,000-£48,000 £42,000-£52,000
National firm (City office) £35,000-£42,000 £38,000-£46,000
National firm (regional) £28,000-£35,000 £30,000-£38,000
Regional firm £25,000-£32,000 £27,000-£35,000
High street firm £24,000-£28,000 £25,000-£30,000
Legal aid firm £23,000-£27,000 £24,000-£29,000
In-house (corporate) £30,000-£42,000 £33,000-£45,000
Government Legal Dept £33,000-£37,000 £35,000-£39,000
Location Year 1 Year 2
London £26,000 £28,000
Elsewhere £25,000 £27,000

These are recommendations, not legal requirements — many firms pay well above

Newly Qualified (NQ) Solicitor Salaries

The NQ pay jump is significant, especially at larger firms.

Firm Type NQ Salary
Magic Circle £120,000-£160,000
US firm (London) £140,000-£180,000+
Silver Circle £85,000-£120,000
Top 50 City firm £65,000-£95,000
National firm (City office) £55,000-£75,000
National firm (regional) £40,000-£55,000
Regional firm (large) £38,000-£50,000
Regional firm (mid-size) £35,000-£45,000
High street £32,000-£42,000
In-house (corporate) £50,000-£75,000
Government £42,000-£52,000
Legal aid £30,000-£38,000

Salary Progression by PQE (Post-Qualification Experience)

City / Large Commercial Firm

PQE Salary Range
NQ £80,000-£160,000
1-2 years £90,000-£175,000
3-5 years £110,000-£220,000
6-8 years (senior associate) £130,000-£260,000
Salaried partner £200,000-£500,000
Equity partner £400,000-£2,000,000+

Regional / Mid-Size Firm

PQE Salary Range
NQ £35,000-£50,000
1-2 years £38,000-£55,000
3-5 years £45,000-£70,000
6-8 years (senior associate) £55,000-£85,000
Salaried partner £80,000-£150,000
Equity partner £100,000-£400,000

Salary by Practice Area

Some practice areas consistently pay more than others.

Highest-Paying Practice Areas

Practice Area NQ Salary (City) 5 PQE (City)
Private equity / M&A £100,000-£160,000 £140,000-£250,000
Banking & finance £95,000-£155,000 £130,000-£230,000
Capital markets £95,000-£155,000 £130,000-£230,000
Corporate (general) £85,000-£150,000 £120,000-£220,000
Tax £80,000-£130,000 £110,000-£200,000
Competition/antitrust £85,000-£140,000 £120,000-£210,000

Mid-Range Practice Areas

Practice Area NQ Salary (City) 5 PQE (City)
Commercial litigation £75,000-£130,000 £100,000-£200,000
Employment £65,000-£110,000 £90,000-£160,000
Real estate (commercial) £70,000-£120,000 £95,000-£180,000
Intellectual property £65,000-£110,000 £90,000-£160,000
Insurance/reinsurance £65,000-£100,000 £85,000-£150,000

Lower-Paying Practice Areas

Practice Area NQ Salary 5 PQE
Family law £30,000-£45,000 £40,000-£70,000
Criminal law (defence) £28,000-£40,000 £35,000-£60,000
Immigration £28,000-£40,000 £38,000-£60,000
Legal aid (general) £28,000-£38,000 £35,000-£55,000
Personal injury (claimant) £30,000-£45,000 £42,000-£65,000
Conveyancing (residential) £28,000-£40,000 £38,000-£60,000

In-House Solicitor Salaries

Moving in-house (working for a company rather than a law firm) offers different pay and lifestyle trade-offs.

Level Salary Range
Junior legal counsel (1-3 PQE) £55,000-£85,000
Legal counsel (3-6 PQE) £75,000-£120,000
Senior legal counsel (6-10 PQE) £100,000-£160,000
Head of Legal £120,000-£200,000
General Counsel (FTSE 250) £180,000-£350,000
General Counsel (FTSE 100) £300,000-£700,000+

In-House Benefits vs Law Firm

Factor In-House Law Firm
Base salary Moderate Higher (City)
Bonus 10-30% 10-50%+
Hours 40-50/week 50-80+/week (City)
Holiday 25-30 days 22-25 days
Work-life balance Generally better Demanding
Benefits package Often generous (share schemes, pensions) Variable

Regional Salary Comparison

Region NQ 5 PQE Partner
London (City) £80,000-£160,000 £120,000-£250,000 £200,000-£2,000,000+
London (West End) £55,000-£80,000 £75,000-£130,000 £120,000-£400,000
Manchester £35,000-£50,000 £48,000-£75,000 £80,000-£250,000
Birmingham £33,000-£48,000 £45,000-£70,000 £75,000-£200,000
Leeds £33,000-£48,000 £45,000-£70,000 £75,000-£200,000
Bristol £33,000-£45,000 £42,000-£65,000 £70,000-£180,000
Edinburgh £35,000-£50,000 £48,000-£75,000 £80,000-£250,000
Cardiff £30,000-£40,000 £38,000-£55,000 £60,000-£150,000
Newcastle £28,000-£38,000 £36,000-£55,000 £60,000-£150,000

Partner Earnings

Partnership is the major financial milestone in a solicitor’s career.

By Firm Type

Firm Type Salaried Partner Equity Partner
Magic Circle £400,000-£800,000 £1,000,000-£2,500,000+
US firm (London) £500,000-£1,000,000 £1,000,000-£4,000,000+
Silver Circle £250,000-£500,000 £500,000-£1,500,000
Top 50 City £180,000-£350,000 £300,000-£800,000
National firm £120,000-£250,000 £200,000-£500,000
Large regional £100,000-£200,000 £150,000-£400,000
Mid-size regional £80,000-£150,000 £100,000-£300,000
Small/high street £60,000-£100,000 £70,000-£200,000

Typical Career Timeline

Stage Years Post-Qualification Typical Earnings (City) Typical Earnings (Regional)
Trainee Pre-qualification £38,000-£56,000 £25,000-£35,000
NQ 0 £80,000-£160,000 £35,000-£50,000
Associate 1-4 PQE £95,000-£200,000 £40,000-£65,000
Senior Associate 4-8 PQE £130,000-£260,000 £55,000-£85,000
Salaried Partner 8-12 PQE £200,000-£500,000 £80,000-£150,000
Equity Partner 10-15+ PQE £400,000-£2,000,000+ £100,000-£400,000

Routes to Qualification

Route Duration Cost
SQE Route (from 2021) SQE1 + SQE2 + 2 years QWE £5,000-£15,000 (often firm-funded)
LPC Route (transitional) LPC + 2-year training contract £12,000-£18,000 (often firm-funded)
Degree required? Law degree or GDL/conversion Graduate Diploma ~£10,000-£12,000
CILEX route Paralegal → CILEX Fellow → Solicitor Part-time, lower cost

Bonuses and Additional Pay

Firm Type Typical Bonus (% of salary)
US firm (London) 30-50%+
Magic Circle 15-30%
Silver Circle 10-25%
City firm 5-15%
Regional firm 0-10%
In-house 10-30%

Summary

Level Typical Salary Range
Trainee solicitor £25,000-£56,000
NQ (regional) £35,000-£50,000
NQ (City) £80,000-£160,000+
5 PQE (regional) £45,000-£75,000
5 PQE (City) £120,000-£250,000
Partner (regional) £80,000-£400,000
Partner (City) £200,000-£2,000,000+