How much do solicitors get paid UK?

Asked by: Brooklyn Hackett  |  Last update: June 28, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (4 votes)

According to Indeed.com, the average salary of a qualified solicitor in the United Kingdom is £49,046 per year (based on 10.3k salaries reported, updated on 11 Jan 2024), whereas the average in London is £60,738.

How much do British solicitors make?

Solicitor salaries in United Kingdom

The estimated total pay for a Solicitor is £49,895 per year, with an average salary of £47,241 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.

What is the highest paid type of solicitor?

As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:
  • Patent Attorneys.
  • Intellectual property (IP) Attorneys.
  • Trial Lawyers.
  • Tax Attorneys.
  • Corporate Lawyers.

How much do barristers get paid in the UK?

Self-employed barristers with more than ten years' experience earn between £100,000 to £300,000 depending on their area of practice. A small percentage of barristers at the top end of the profession earn between £500,000 to £1million. Employed barristers can expect to earn from £90,000 to in excess of £150,000.

How much do the top 1% of lawyers make?

— How do we know how much do lawyers make? 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.

This Is How Much UK Lawyers Make - Solicitor And Barrister Salaries REVEALED!!

36 related questions found

How to make $500,000 as a lawyer?

How can a lawyer make 500k a year?
  1. Create an SEO for Lawyers Strategy.
  2. Build a Solid Law Firm Website.
  3. Write Engaging Attorney Content.
  4. Start a Lawyer PPC Campaign.
  5. Register Your Law Firm in Relevant Listings and Directories.
  6. Engage in Reputation Management for Lawyers.

Do lawyers make 200k a year?

The median starting salary is $215,000 in 11 cities and geographic areas. They are Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles/Orange County, California; New York City; San Diego; San Francisco; Silicon Valley in California; and the Washington, D.C., area.

What country pays barristers the most?

10 Highest Paying Countries for Lawyers
  • Australia – Average Annual Salary (AUD 119,278) ...
  • New Zealand – Average Annual Salary (NZD 84,047) ...
  • Netherlands – Average Annual Salary (EUR 65,000) ...
  • Ireland – Average Annual Salary (EUR 77,148) ...
  • Switzerland – Average Annual Salary (CHF 140,000)

Is a barrister the same as a lawyer?

In general, the terms lawyer and attorney are used interchangeably in the United States and Canada, while solicitor and barrister are more common in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.

What is the average salary for a law degree UK?

How much does a Law graduate make in United Kingdom? The average law graduate salary in the United Kingdom is £25,000 per year or £12.82 per hour. Entry level positions start at £22,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to £42,600 per year.

What field of law makes the most money?

Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers
  • Patent attorney: $180,000.
  • Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
  • Trial lawyer: $134,000.
  • Tax attorney: $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Medical lawyer: $113,000.
  • Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
  • Family lawyer: $93,000.

What is the highest paying 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.

How much do entry level solicitors make in London?

According to our salary calculator, the average annual salary for Newly Qualified Solicitors working in London is £65,000 - £85,000.

Are solicitors well paid in UK?

Outside of London, the highest paid area for solicitors is in the south of England, where a solicitor's average earnings are £56,000. Solicitors in the Midlands and Wales have average salaries of £46,000. And those in the north of England have an average annual salary of £43,000.

What is the richest type of lawyer in the UK?

You'll find the highest salaries in areas such as commercial and corporate law, while family and personal injury law are less likely to draw big-figure salaries.

How many hours do solicitors work in the UK?

For solicitors, a full-time role rarely means working 9-to-5. In the UK, solicitors commonly exceed a 40-hour work week, often extending into evenings and weekends to accommodate client needs and meet billable hour targets.

What is the US equivalent of a barrister?

Barristers are involved in and litigation , similar to “trial lawyers” or “ litigators ” in the United States, except such lawyers in America may perform tasks beyond courtroom advocacy, unlike barristers.

Do barristers still wear wigs?

Wigs are still commonplace in the courtroom, almost thought of as a uniform, to maintain the long tradition and formality of the legal system. However, the wigs have undergone some changes.

How to become a solicitor in the UK?

To qualify as a solicitor, you must:
  1. take an undergraduate degree in any subject, or equivalent qualification, in any subject.
  2. pass parts 1 and 2 of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)
  3. complete 2 years (or equivalent if part-time) qualifying work experience.

Which type of lawyer gets paid the most?

The highest-paid lawyers typically specialize in fields such as corporate law, intellectual property, tax law, medical malpractice, and entertainment law. These areas command higher salaries due to the complexity, demand, and financial stakes involved.

Which country pays doctors the most?

The following are the best countries that offer lucrative job opportunities for doctors and allow them to grow professionally.
  • Switzerland. Switzerland tops the chart when it comes to the highest-paying countries for doctors and related healthcare professionals. ...
  • Canada. ...
  • Luxembourg. ...
  • USA. ...
  • Ireland. ...
  • Australia. ...
  • Austria. ...
  • Belgium.

Which country has the best law profession?

The US stands as the leading destination for law studies, home to prestigious institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School. Ranking #1 in quality of education, the US offers comprehensive legal training across specialties like corporate law, public interest law, and technology law.

How many millionaires are lawyers?

My math says 0.3%-0.35%. There are 4100 biglaw attorneys who rake in a million a year or more, which is 0.31% of all attorneys; the 100 highest paid GCs average $2.7 million per year, and there are easily just as many solo or small-firm attorneys who also make that much.

Can you make a million dollars as a lawyer?

Yes, as shown by the top-earning professionals in the legal field, it's possible to make over $1 million annually. However, you need to explore other ways to generate profits. While a lawyer's income is anything but small, your salary alone — especially if you're a non-partner — won't be enough to hit your target.

What is big law?

“Big Law” is a term used in the legal field when referring to large law firms in major cities. A career in Big Law can set you on track for a high-paying salary. However, the field is highly competitive and careers tend to be demanding.