How much does a lawyer get paid in UK?
Asked by: Miss Kasey Weber I | Last update: September 12, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (11 votes)
How much does a Lawyer make in United Kingdom? The average lawyer salary in the United Kingdom is £50,000 per year or £25.64 per hour. Entry level positions start at £40,559 per year while most experienced workers make up to £78,000 per year.
Do lawyers earn more in the UK or 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.
Do lawyers get paid a lot in London?
Lawyer salaries in London
The estimated total pay for a Lawyer is £80,400 per year in the London area, with an average salary of £69,603 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.
Is law a good career in the UK?
Employers throughout the world have long favoured UK law graduates, so a UK law degree can open doors wherever you intend to work. A UK law degree also opens up a wide number of professional opportunities, whether students wish to work in justice and criminology, journalism, or politics.
What type of lawyer gets paid most?
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.
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Do lawyers make 300k?
Lawyer salaries by state
Lawyers in these states earn the highest median salaries: California ($175,680) New York ($172,880) Massachusetts ($161,530)
Which country pays lawyers 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.
How long is law school in the UK?
If you complete an “ordinary” LLB, this takes 3 years. Most students undertake an LLB with Honours, and this takes 4 years. If you study part-time the LLB usually takes 5 years to complete.
Which field of law pays the most UK?
The area of law you work in
The most profitable legal area is commercial and corporate law, where solicitors can easily earn over £100,000 a year. Commercial lawyers provide business-related advice to companies, making sure that they comply with regulation and a particular country's legal system.
How hard is a law degree in the UK?
Legal concepts can be quite intricate. You'll need a deep understanding of various areas of law, such as common, criminal, intellectual property, commercial, family, labour, and more. Yes, this can seem overwhelming.
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.
How much do lawyers make in the USA?
Lawyers made a median salary of $145,760 in 2023. The best-paid 25% made $217,360 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $98,030.
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.
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.
Can a US lawyer work in UK?
From September 2021, lawyers from abroad and overseas students who wish to qualify in England and Wales can sit the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE allows you to qualify as a solicitor by taking the same exam as domestic candidates.
Who earns more doctors or lawyers 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.
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 average UK salary?
The median average salary for full-time workers (male and female) in the UK in 2023 was £34,963 (£33,000 in 2022 and £31,285 in 2021). The mean average salary for full-time workers in the UK (male and female) in 2023 was £42,210 (£39,966 in 2022 and £38,131 in 2021).
Which law has highest salary?
M&A, private equity, and banking law are some of the most lucrative practice areas, with firms paying top salaries to attract specialists.
What GPA do you need for law school in the UK?
Apply for a 3-year LLB in the UK
Students will normally need a GPA of at least 2.7/4.0 to qualify for this program. SI-UK will assist you in applying to 5 UK Universities at once, making sure you get into as high-ranked a university as your transcripts will allow.
Is a UK law degree worth it?
Law qualifications from UK universities are commonly recognised as some of the best in the world. High standard of teaching, research led programmes and emphasis on practical law skills are among some of the reasons why a UK law degree is so valued.
What are the highest paying jobs in the world?
- General and Orthopedic Surgeons.
- Anesthesiologist.
- Investment Banker.
- Corporate Lawyers.
- Software Engineers.
- Cosmetic Surgeons.
- Psychiatrists.
- Commercial Airline Pilots.
What field of law is most in demand?
- Intellectual property law. ...
- Family law. ...
- Immigration & naturalization law. ...
- Real estate law. ...
- Contract management. ...
- Compliance. ...
- Labor and employment. ...
- Corporate transactions. Also known as mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, this work navigates the buying and selling of companies and their assets.
Which ethnicity has the most lawyers?
White lawyers were 88% of the profession in 2014, but 78% in 2024. They are still overrepresented compared to the U.S. population. Non-Hispanic white people are 58.4% of the national population. For more on how the National Lawyer Population Survey collects data, see the final section in this chapter.