Do lawyers earn a lot in the UK?
Asked by: Dillon Ledner | Last update: July 29, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (62 votes)
Job site Indeed reports the average salary for a solicitor is just under £50,000 a year, based on almost 11,000 reported salaries. Of course, this figure can vary significantly based on the factors mentioned earlier, with some London based, Magic Circle firms paying experienced professionals well over £100,000 a year.
Do lawyers get paid well in the UK?
Lawyer salaries in United Kingdom
The estimated total pay for a Lawyer is £69,464 per year, with an average salary of £60,994 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.
Do lawyers earn more in the UK or the US?
At a glance. Trainees in London earn more than those working outside the capital. You'll earn less in smaller firms but will likely rise up the ladder quicker. USA based firms pay the highest trainee and newly-qualified salaries, followed by Magic Circle then City firms.
Is lawyer a good career in the UK?
Pay is still quite lucrative for many lawyers, but the take-home pay really depends on how hard one is willing to work for it, how well you are doing, and who they know. Solicitors' salaries can be anywhere from £32,000 to £147,500 (base salary) as a newly qualified lawyer in London.
Do lawyers make more than doctors in the UK?
Lawyers are earning an average of £92,606 each year; they are the second highest earners and beaten only by chief executives, who earn an average of £130,734, according to the ONS' 2021 data. By contrast, doctors took home £74,588 this year and dentists £59,669.
This Is How Much UK Lawyers Make - Solicitor And Barrister Salaries REVEALED!!
In which country do lawyers earn the most?
The top countries which offer the highest average Lawyer's salary are the USA, Germany, Canada, the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Switzerland. The legal field presents numerous opportunities for skilled professionals to create significant impacts locally and globally.
Is law harder than medicine in the UK?
If you can tough it out through the first couple of years, the ceiling for doctors is definitely higher than lawyers. Betting on making it to an MC firm can be a bit of a gamble, but doable if you lock in early and are generally interested in the career.
Is it difficult to become a lawyer UK?
Becoming a lawyer in the UK is not a quick process by any means. It involves dedication, years of study and work experience, and ongoing professional development.
What is the highest paid type of lawyer UK?
Corporate law
Corporate law is the highest-paid legal specialism and the national average salary for a corporate lawyer is £70,850 per year. Corporate lawyers work on behalf of organisations and might also directly work for an organisation.
Is there a shortage of lawyers in the UK?
However, there are now growing concerns about whether there are enough qualified solicitors and barristers to ensure its proper functioning. Recent analysis and reports highlight that the system is strained by a combination of workforce shortages, funding constraints, and structural inefficiencies.
Why are lawyers so expensive in the UK?
Like any other business, law firms have overheads such as wages, office rental costs and IT equipment. The legal industry is also highly regulated, which helps to ensure that the service provided to you is accurate and fair, and this also comes at a price.
Who gets paid more US or UK?
The US is a richer society, thus wages are higher. The US economy is lower tax, less regulated, than the British.
Which type of lawyer makes the most money?
Corporate and tax lawyers tend to be the highest earners, with patent and IP lawyers not far behind. Trial lawyers also pull down a lot of money, particularly in the civil litigation field. Other lawyers are more motivated by getting justice for their clients than by collecting the largest possible paycheck.
What is the highest paid job in the UK?
1. Chief Executives and Senior Officials. Unsurprisingly, chief executives like CEOs and Managing Directors have the best-paying jobs. After all, they're the highest-ranking individuals in an organisation.
Do lawyers make over 100k?
In general, the five highest-paying states for lawyers are as follows: California ($201,530) Massachusetts ($196,230) New York ($188,900)
What type of lawyer is most in demand UK?
According to recent insights from the LexisNexis GLP Index, property, immigration, restructuring, and insolvency law are projected to experience the strongest demand growth in 2025. This mirrors the increasing demand across several core practice areas, each driven by unique economic and social factors.
Are lawyers underpaid in UK?
Job site Indeed reports the average salary for a solicitor is just under £50,000 a year, based on almost 11,000 reported salaries. Of course, this figure can vary significantly based on the factors mentioned earlier, with some London based, Magic Circle firms paying experienced professionals well over £100,000 a year.
Can lawyers make 300k a year?
Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys in the US is just over $125,000. The highest-paid lawyers (10% of the legal workforce) make over $208,000 However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500,000 or more per year.
How many years to become a Lawyer in the UK?
How long it takes. It usually takes at least six years to qualify as a solicitor if you study law full time. It will be longer if you study a different subject for your degree and decide later you want to follow a legal career.
What is the hardest place to become a lawyer?
1. Which State Bar Is Most Difficult? California is widely considered to have the hardest bar exam, due to its low pass rate and the difficulty of the content and constraints of the exam.
Can foreigners work as lawyers in UK?
If you're an overseas student, in order to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales, you'll need to: hold a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification (such as an apprenticeship) or work experience. complete two stages of assessment, SQE1 and SQE2. complete two years of qualifying work experience (QWE)
What is the average age of a qualified lawyer UK?
Of these qualified solicitors: 3,827 are female and 2,523 are male. the average age entered onto the roll in 2021-22, across both genders, is 30 years. the average for males is 32.5 and the average age for females is 30.6.
What is the hardest degree in the UK?
Medicine. It's no secret that Medicine is one of the hardest degrees in the world, not least because courses are so competitive. UCAS figures show that 29,710 people applied to study medicine in the UK in 2022. The number of applicants from the four countries of the UK shot up 3.5% from last year.
What is the hardest law degree to get?
The hardest law school to get into is Yale Law School, with an acceptance rate of 5.5%. Followed by: Stanford Law School: 7% acceptance rate. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: 3.8% acceptance rate.
Is law a good career in the UK?
Earning potential
With a law degree, you can go on to work as a lawyer in the UK on an average salary of £59,779 (Reed 2024), with the opportunity to earn a lot more; for example corporate lawyers earn an average of £103,495 (Glassdoor 2024).