New data reveals record-breaking salaries for newly qualified solicitors, led by US firms in London
Junior solicitors in London are now commanding salaries as high as £180,000 straight out of training, according to new research published by Legal Cheek. The findings reveal a rapid escalation in newly qualified pay across the UK’s leading firms, fuelled by competition between elite City practices and their US rivals.
The study, which examined more than 100 firms listed in the 2026 Legal Cheek Firms Most List, shows that the average NQ salary now stands at £118,756. This represents a near 5% increase compared with last year’s report. The surge is driven by US outfits, 18 of which are now paying London-based juniors over £170,000 a year.
At the very top of the scale sit Davis Polk & Wardwell, Gibson Dunn and Paul Weiss, each offering £180,000. Sullivan & Cromwell is only fractionally behind at £177,000, with Goodwin, King & Spalding, Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin and White & Case all pitching at £175,000. Other transatlantic giants such as Debevoise & Plimpton, Latham & Watkins and Vinson & Elkins fall in the £173,000 bracket. Even firms on the lower end of the US scale, including Dechert, Jones Day and Ropes & Gray, are still paying £165,000.
By contrast, the Magic Circle has settled at £150,000. Freshfields set the benchmark in May 2024 when it jumped from £125,000 to £150,000, and Allen & Overy Shearman, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and Slaughter and May quickly matched. That move ended years of incremental rises and effectively locked the group into parity at £150,000, where they remain.
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Silver Circle firms have narrowed the gap with notable increases. Ashurst led the charge with an 11% rise, pushing NQ pay to £140,000. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer now sits at £145,000 after a £10,000 uplift, while Macfarlanes has held firm at £140,000 after being the first in the group to hit that milestone last summer. Travers Smith rose to £130,000 and BCLP to £115,000.
Other major players outside the top-tier group have also moved. Mayer Brown made one of the biggest leaps, increasing from £135,000 to £150,000, aligning itself with the Magic Circle. Eversheds Sutherland climbed to £110,000, while Katten pushed up to £125,000. Norton Rose Fulbright and Hogan Lovells stand at £135,000 and £140,000 respectively, and Baker McKenzie is at £145,000.
Not every firm has chosen to follow the pay race. Some have frozen NQ salaries altogether, citing concerns over “salary compression” or “bunching” — the narrowing gap between junior and senior lawyers caused by rapid increases for the newest recruits. At least one firm diverted money earmarked for junior rises into a broader bonus pool to reward staff more evenly across seniority levels. Other firms have opted for smaller uplifts, in some cases just over 1%, falling short of the 3.8% inflation rate recorded in the UK for the 12 months to August 2025.
Despite these variations, the overall trajectory remains clear: pay for newly qualified solicitors has reached record highs. Legal Cheek’s data highlights a profession increasingly divided between US firms paying well over £170,000 and UK-based rivals offering sums in the £100,000–£150,000 range. At the lower end, regional outfits still sit between £50,000 and £80,000, with firms such as Moore Barlow offering £48,500 and Express Solicitors paying £36,000.
The figures confirm that financial incentives remain one of the most powerful tools for attracting top graduate talent, particularly when US firms continue to dominate the upper end of the market. For many aspiring lawyers, the lure of six-figure pay within a year of qualifying remains irresistible, despite the long hours and high-pressure environments associated with these roles.
As competition for junior lawyers intensifies, the divide between global giants and regional firms looks set to widen further. For now, the message from the data is unmistakable: money continues to talk loudly in the legal profession.