Paralegals are an integral part of any law firm, and paralegal salary reflects that. Paralegals work on different legal matters, such as legal research, drafting legal documents, and providing legal advice. On this page, you will learn all about paralegal pay in the UK, national averages, breakdown by cities, and differences in pay due to seniority.
What is an Average Paralegal Salary in the United Kingdom?
The average salary for paralegals varies dramatically. The lower salary is around £18,000, while the average paralegal salary is around £27,000 and the highest-paid paralegals would get around £42,000. This is slightly higher than a legal assistant and legal secretary salaries, but below what legal executives make.
Your salary will largely depend on how many years of experience you have. Typically, more senior paralegals tend to be on the higher end of the pay scale. Paralegals work across different practice areas and the area that you will work in will have an effect on your paycheck. Lastly, the city that you practice in will have an effect on your salary too. You must keep those factors in mind when considering working as a paralegal.
Salary Breakdown by Cities
How much do paralegals make in UK cities is listed below:
- Birmingham paralegals make on average £20,000
- Bristol paralegals make on average £21,000
- Edinburg paralegals make on average £24,500
- Glasgow paralegals make on average £24,000
- Leeds paralegals make on average £20,000
- Leicester paralegals make on average £21,000
- Liverpool paralegals make on average £22,000
- Manchester paralegals make on average £20,000
- Nottingham paralegals make on average £20,000
- Sheffield paralegals make on average £21,000
Paralegal Salary in London
Paralegal salary in London varies from a low of £20,000, an average of £28,000 and the higher ones are around £39,000. Paralegal salaries are higher in London than in other parts of the country. There are various reasons for that:
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- Firstly, as London is the capital and a financial centre, there are more opportunities for paralegal jobs there. This, in turn, means that there will be a bigger variety of positions with lower or higher salaries.
- Secondly, as a financial centre, London is home to some of the biggest, most lucrative deals in the world. However, working on these can sometimes be very challenging as well as time-consuming due to its long working hours. As such, employees working on them including paralegals will be compensated with higher salaries.
Paralegal Salaries Outside of London
Paralegal salaries outside London vary, however on average a low salary would be around £21,000, an average one around £24,000, and a high one around £31,000. The salaries tend to be lower outside London due to lower cost of living, less competition, and various other factors.
Salary by Area of Practice
Your area of specialism will have a great impact on your salary. Paralegals in more commercial areas of law generally tend to earn more. Below is a quick overview of paralegal salaries by specialisms:
- Corporate paralegal salary on average is £29,000
- Dispute resolution paralegals on average make £23,000
- Conveyancing paralegal salary on average is £24,000
- Criminal paralegal salary on average is £18,500
- Debt recovery paralegals on average make £23,000
- Employment paralegals on average make £17,500
- Intellectual property (IP) paralegals on average make £26,000
- Litigation paralegals on average make £19,000
- Family paralegals on average make £22,600
- Mediation paralegals on average make £17,000
- Personal injury paralegals on average make £25,000
- Private client paralegals on average make £23,000
- Real estate paralegals on average make £21,500
- Sports law paralegals on average make £27,000
- Virtual paralegals on average make £22,000
- Wills and probate paralegals on average make £22,500
Entry Level Paralegal Salary the UK
On average, entry-level paralegals make around £19,000 this highly depends on whether you pursue the trainee route or the assistant route.
Trainee Paralegal Salary
On average, trainee paralegal salary in the UK is £18,000. It is often that aspiring paralegals will start their careers as trainees. You will be trained by the firm, and given resources to develop skills necessary for paralegals.
Assistant Paralegal Salary
On average, the assistant paralegal salary in the UK is £20,000. Some firms will choose to employ you as an assistant first, before offering your a fully-fledged paralegal role. Other firms will train you as an assistant with the intent for you to then become a paralegal.
How to Increase Your Paralegal Salary
One can increase their paralegal salary by securing a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate or an Associate’s Degree. By having studied in a long-term, structured paralegal education programme, they will increase their chances of a higher salary. Another way is specialising in an area of law, such as commercial law.
Moreover, experience is very important when it comes to increasing one’s paralegal salary. Paralegals with over 5+ years of experience tend to make a lot more than those that are just beginning their career journey. It is definitely worth investing your time in this career to see the full financial benefits of it.
Develop skills to Increase Salary
It is crucial to develop the necessary skills in order to receive a higher salary. Paralegals perform a variety of work and are expected to fill in for solicitors when needed. They are an integral part of any legal team and are more than just support staff. If you want to excel in this career and perhaps use it as a stepping stone to a career as a solicitor of a barrister, you should consider developing these essential skills:
- Commercial awareness
- Communication
- Legal writing
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
By Kleoniki Mastorakou
