Salaries are an important factor to bear in mind when applying for training contracts but should not be the reason for choosing a law firm to apply to. Since February 2020, the Law Society has recommended that training contract providers should pay trainees a minimum of £22,794 in London and £20,217 outside London. However, this is not enforceable because the Law Society is not the profession’s regulator.
The US and international firms pay their trainees the most money, but it is well known that their working hours and the demand on trainees are very high. Below is a list of salaries trainee solicitor salaries in the UK broken down by cities.
Bristol – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm  | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Ashfords | £29,000 | £30,000 |
Burges Salmon | £36,000 | £37,000 |
CMS | £38,000 | £40,000 |
Foot Anstey | £30,000 | £32,000 |
Irwin Mitchell | £26,500 | £28,500 |
Osbourne Clarke | £40,500 | £42,125 |
RPC | £35,000 | £36,000 |
Simmons & Simmons | £39,000 – £45,000 | £40,000 – £50,000 |
TLT | £28,500 – £39,500 | £30,500 – £42,500 |
Womble Bond Dickinson | £22,000 – £30,000 | £24,000 – £32,000 |
Birmingham – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
BLM | £21,000 | £23,000 |
DLA Piper | £28,000 | £31,000 |
DWF | £22,000 – £38,000 | N/D |
Freeths | £25,000 | N/D |
Gowling WLG | £28,000 | £31,000 |
Kennedys | £27,500 | £29,000 |
Pinsent Masons | £27,000 | £30,000 |
Shoosmiths | £27,000 | £28,000 |
Squire Patton Boggs | £26,000 | £28,000 |
VWV | £23,000 | £25,000 |
Leeds – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Addleshaw Goddard | £27,000 | £29,000 |
Clyde & Co | £24,500 | £26,500 |
DLA Piper | £28,000 | £31,000 |
DWF | £24,000 – £38,000 | N/D |
Irwin Mitchell | £26,500 | £28,500 |
Mills and Reeve | £27,000 | £28,000 |
Pinsent Masons | £27,000 | £30,000 |
Reed Smith | £45,000 | N/D |
Squire Patton Boggs | £26,000 | £28,000 |
Walker Morris | £27,000 | £29,000 |
Ward Hadaway | £24,000 | £26,000 |
Liverpool – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
BLM | £26,000 | £27,000 |
Brabners | £25,000 | £26,500 |
DLA Piper | £28,000 | £31,000 |
DWF | £24,000 – £38,000 | N/D |
Freeths | £25,000 | N/D |
Hill Dickinson | £26,000 – £37,000 | £28,000 – £29,000 |
Weightmans | £25,000 | £27,000 |
London – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Addleshaw Goddard | £40,000 | £43,000 |
Allen & Overy | £46,500 | £52,500 |
Bird & Bird | £40,000 | £44,000 |
Clifford Chance | £48,000 | £54,000 |
CMS | £43,000 | £48,000 |
Dentons | £44,000 | £46,000 |
HFW | £41,000 | £43,000 |
Jones Day | £52,000 | £59,000 |
Slaughter and May | £47,000 | £52,500 |
White & Case | £50,000 | £55,000 |
Manchester – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Addleshaw Goddard | £27,000 | £29,000 |
CMS | £28,000 | £30,000 |
Clyde & Co | £24,500 | £28,500 |
Irwin Mitchell | £26,500 | £28,500 |
Kennedys | £27,500 | £29,000 |
Leigh Day | £25,600 | £27,600 |
Mills & Reeve | £27,000 | £28,500 |
Pinsent Mansons | £27,000 | £30,000 |
TLT | £28,500 | £34,000 |
Ward Hadaway | £24,000 | £26,000 |
Newcastle – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Clyde & Co | £24,500 | £26,500 |
DAC Beachcroft | £30,000 | £32,000 |
DWF | £22,000 – £38,000 | N/D |
Irwin Mitchell | £26,500 | £28,500 |
Muckle | £24,500 | £26,500 |
Ward Hadaway | £24,000 | £26,500 |
Weightmans | £25,000 | £27,000 |
Womble Bond Dickinson | £26,000 | £28,000 |
Norwich – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Ashtons | £20,000 | £21,000 |
Birketts | £25,500 – £28,000 | £26,500 – £29,000 |
Howes Percival | £27,000 | £28,000 |
Mills & Reeve | £27,000 | £28,000 |
Exeter – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
Ashfords | £29,000 | £30,000 |
Foot Anstey | £30,000 | £32,000 |
Michelmores | £28,000 | £29,000 |
Trowers & Hamlins | £28,000 | £30,000 |
Reading – Trainee Solicitor Salaries
Law Firm | First Year Trainee Salary | Second Year Trainee Salary |
BDB Pitmans | £30,000 | £32,000 |
Irwin Mitchell | £26,500 | £28,500 |
Osbourne Clarke | £40,500 | £42,125 |
Penningtons Manches Cooper | £30,000 | £32,000 |
Shoosmiths | £27,000 | £28,000 |
By Andrea Dennis