In practice, salaries as a trainee lawyer vary widely across the United Kingdom, with your location being one of the most important determinants of what you will earn. London-based trainees earn more than those who work outside the city. Whereas smaller companies outside of London pay less, but you are likely to advance faster.
The highest compensation for trainees and newly trained graduates is paid by companies based in the United States, trailed by the Magic Circle and finally the firms in the City. Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case (USA firms located in London), for example, pay first-year trainee solicitors £50,000. In the second year, these values climb to £55,000. As you grow professionally, your salary as a newly qualified lawyer rises year after year.
Solicitor Salary
Working at a City firm may impair your balance between work and life, although your payments will undoubtedly reflect your efforts. The field of law you might choose to specialise in, in addition to your geographic location, could have a significant influence on your earnings. Commercial, corporate, and EU law, for example, pay the greatest incomes since they deal with large firms on a national and worldwide level.
On the other hand, personal areas of law such as personal injury and family law, as well as attorneys working on more local matters in high-street firms, are less likely to earn six-figure incomes.
The figures below should be used as a general reference to the typical solicitor income. Also noting that before completing the ‘Post-Qualified Experience’ or ‘PQE’ stage, solicitors must complete a two-year training contract.
| Area of law | Training Year 1 | Training Year 2 | PQE Year 1 |
| Criminal Law | £18,000-£25,000 | £20,000-£28,000 | £22,000-£30,000 |
| Family Law | £25,000-£35,000 | £30,000-£40,000 | £40,000-£60,000 |
| Commercial Law | £40,000-£50,000 | £45,000-£55,000 | £70,000-£120,000 |
| Public Law | £20,000-£30,000 | £25,000-£35,000 | £35,000-£45,000 |
| Environmental Law | £17,000-£20,000 | £22,000- £29,000 | £30,000-£35,000 |
Barrister Salary
Roughly 80% of barristers work for themselves, and their incomes might vary greatly based on a variety of circumstances. These factors include your geographical position, practise area, experience, and reputation, and even the sort of company you work for such as self-employed or employed.
Salaries for barristers in their early years of practice can be quite low, and there can be a long period between completing work and getting money. If you are self-employed, you will additionally need to include expenses such as chambers rent, tax, clerks fees, insurance, and travel. Hired barristers’ salaries will be less variable because they are set by their employers.
Conversely, barrister’s pay can also vary depending on the type of law practiced by the chambers. Also recognising that barristers have to complete a one-year pupillage before being recognised as a ‘tenant’ by the chambers. Below is a table that provides a rough guide on how much barristers could earn during their journey to becoming qualified barristers.
| Area of law | Pupillage | Tenancy Year 1 | Tenancy Year 2 |
| Criminal Law | £12,000-£20,000 | £14,000-£30,000 | £16,000-£40,000 |
| Family Law | £14,000-£35,000 | £16,000-£40,000 | £18,000-£55,000 |
| Commercial Law | £45,000-£70,00 | £70,000-£150,000 | £80,000-£200,000 |
| Public Law | £20,000-£70,000 | £35,000-£80,000 | £40,000-£90,000 |
| Environmental Law | £15,000-£30,000 | £40,000-£50,000 | £48,000-£75,000 |
Summary
To summarise, a lawyer’s income, whether a solicitor or a barrister, is determined by their geographical location, the business they work for, and how long they have worked in the profession.
Career advancement necessitates a creative approach to job prospects as well as the capacity to think logically; progress may hinge on selecting a niche in which you can build a profile.
By Ajmeet Nagpal
