Bar Council research reveals widening earnings gap between male and female barristers, despite growth
The gender pay gap at the Bar has widened over the last four years, according to the latest research by the Bar Council. The study shows that while earnings for both male and female barristers have increased since 2021, women continue to earn less on average than their male counterparts, with the gap growing across most experience levels.
The Bar Council’s review of earnings data from 2024 revealed that women’s income remains consistently lower than men’s, starting from early career stages and exacerbating as they progress. In the junior barrister category, women’s median fee income was £124,000, 76% of the £162,800 earned by their male peers. The gap was even more pronounced among King’s Counsel (KCs), where female KCs earned 72% of the income of male KCs, £374,500 compared with £520,100. This figure marked a slight improvement from 2021, when the gap stood at 70%.
The disparity in earnings was particularly stark at the top end. The earnings gap among the lowest-earning KCs was 17%, but this ballooned to 34% among the top-earning silks, with the highest-earning male silks pulling in £1,041,000, compared with £687,000 for female silks.
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The report also highlighted that women with fewer than three years of post-qualification experience (PQE) earned 17% less than their male counterparts, a figure which worsened for those in the 11-15 and 16-20 PQE bands, where women earned 28% less than men. However, this gap narrowed among ‘senior juniors’, with a 22% gap in the 21-25 PQE group and 15% at 26+ PQE.
The widening gap for women barristers seeking to reach silk was also noted. While both male and female barristers saw significant increases in earnings once they achieved silk status, the gender pay gap grew again at this level.
The report also found significant pay disparities in specific areas of practice. Women in commercial and Chancery practice, especially those with 11-15 years PQE, were earning only 63% of the income of their male counterparts. Additionally, women represented just 22% of the barristers in these fields, the lowest percentage among all areas of practice surveyed.
The Bar Council has called for continued monitoring of earnings disparities and for action to address the imbalance. It is recommended that chambers work with clients to promote fair access to work and ensure equal opportunities for all barristers, regardless of gender. Chambers should also implement measures to understand and rectify any underlying causes of pay disparity.
Kirsty Brimelow KC, vice-chair of the Bar Council, pointed out that income disparities were less pronounced in the employed Bar and outside of London. She noted that women often pitch their fees lower than men, suggesting that addressing how work is allocated and the way fees are set could help reduce the gap. She called for closer collaboration between the Bar and the Law Society to address these issues.
The Bar Council has been monitoring earnings since 2020 and offers support, including toolkits for chambers to audit earnings and training on ensuring fair access to work.