Legal Salaries
The average Legal salary is
£39,211.
Working in Legal you can earn between
£4,000 and
£79,950.
The starting salary for junior Legal jobs is £4,000.
The hourly pay range for Legal jobs is £1.92 to £38.44.
Quick Links
- Legal Overview
- Core responsibilities in Legal
- Core Legal skills
- What to expect from a career in Legal
- How to earn more in Legal roles
Valued at £37 bn, the UK legal services market is the international standard for most countries. The UK has 150,000 practising solicitors and more than 10,000 law firms, providing many career opportunities.
Careers include different types of paralegals, corporate legal secretaries, solicitors, lawyers, magistrate judges, and barristers. Legal careers often focus on a specific area such as personal injury, property, immigration, administrative, or financial law.
If you are starting a law career, you will find work within private, professional practices, local or central government, or within an industrial or commercial organisation.
You may need a law degree or a diploma in law to start your career. For example, to become a chartered legal executive, you will need to complete the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives training program.
Salaries are as varied as the number of career paths. A corporate legal secretary with experience earns on average £49,300, progressing to £95,000, once their career is fully established. A litigation paralegal will typically earn £28,300, rising to £42,000 at the top of the field.
Core responsibilities in Legal
You will interpret the law and be directly in contact with clients, which might be individuals or a commercial entity. Through the many different positions, you may find yourself solely working on an administrative task, writing wills and contracts, attending court, or resolving disputes.
Barristers represent clients in court, present cases, provide legal advice, and negotiate settlements. Paralegals offer legal services but do not need to be a qualified barrister, solicitor, or chartered legal executive.
Core Legal skills
You should have a high level of intellect with great people skills and legal knowledge. You will need to bring a methodical approach to your work and have problem-solving, IT, numerical, and written skills.
If you are up for the challenge, a career in legal services could give you the fulfilment you are searching for.
What to expect from a career in Legal
The demands of a legal job suit those who like to work hard, with attention to detail and an excellent work ethic. You will certainly find yourself working with others, either in a team environment or through meetings and consultations. Communication, organisation, research, information analysis, and commercial awareness will all be central to your role.
A career can take you in many directions. In many roles, workers thrive on one day, never being the same as the next.
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Legal Salaries by Region
Compare Legal salaries across different regions
| Region | Salary |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | £34,175.32 |
| Eastern | £35,799.21 |
| Isle of Man | £36,302.69 |
| London | £57,474.81 |
| North East | £32,212.03 |
| North West | £35,572.61 |
| Northern Ireland | £28,621.91 |
| Scotland | £34,328.11 |
| South East | £39,392.21 |
| South West | £41,155.67 |
| Wales | £34,903.95 |
| West Midlands | £32,975.50 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £35,167.92 |
Top Paying Locations for Legal Jobs in the UK
The average salary for Legal professionals in the United Kingdom is significantly influenced by location. The general region and area will affect your base salary in Legal jobs. However, you are not alone if relocating is not something you want to consider, and it doesn't mean that you can't make a higher income.
For example, you could choose to work for a Legal business that is city-based. While London leads the way, working for employers located in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Reading, Leeds, and Cardiff will help you earn higher wages per year, compared to companies situated in smaller villages and towns.
Legal Professional Development
The answer to 'how much do Legal professionals earn?' can only be answered by considering where along the career path the individual and job title sit. The total year's experience in the Legal sector will change what the employer is prepared to offer. An entry-level Legal salary will be the lowest, followed by fully qualified workers, senior-level staff, and management.
While you can expect a starting salary for Legal workers to be at the bottom of the pay scale, graduates with a relevant qualification have a higher worth, commanding a better starting salary. UK training opportunities are plentiful, so even if attaining a university degree is out of the question, increasing your skills through workshops and online courses will help you raise the money you can earn a year in your chosen role.
How much are Legal professionals paid? Our data and graphs give you guidance on the wage range and earning per annum for junior, intermediate, and senior roles.
Legal Work Experience
Gaining Legal pre-entry work experience can be crucial in helping you secure employment and a decent rate per hour. Work placements, internships, apprenticeships, shadowing, and vacation work can all help you gain the experience you need. If you cannot find work experience in the Legal industry, you might be able to show potential employers that you have acquired transferable skills elsewhere.
Legal Working Hours
As with all business sectors, the working hours in Legal will affect what you earned during the month. Small, medium, and larger firms may pay a higher overtime rate or offer more money if you work unsociable hours, such as evenings, nights, weekends, and national holidays.
Salaries of part-time, full-time, permanent, temporary, and contract staff all differ and will affect your decision on whether you are earning fair compensation.
Legal Salary Negotiations
Before you enter salary negotiations with employers, hiring managers, or the head of HR, it pays to get prepared. Compare the salaries for the Legal sector on this page to help determine what you are worth. You can perform a salary search for different job titles and locations.
It is worth remembering that you can profit from more than just financial benefits and performance-related commission. Is a high salary in the UK worth more than the freedom to work from home, have more paid holiday, a gym membership, or have private healthcare benefits?
Legal Job Search
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