2025 UK Legal Salary Guide and Market Trends

With inflation falling and interest rates on a downward trajectory, the pressure on hiring budgets has eased, and subsequently vacancies in the sector have been gradually increasing.  More newly created roles are coming onto the market, rather than back-filling, which is generally a sign of business confidence returning. Although more legal teams are expanding their permanent headcount, some businesses are still hiring contractors in the interim period with the intention of turning permanent at a later point.

Most in-house legal hiring activity is seen within the manufacturing, technology, real estate, renewable energy and asset management sectors. The majority of permanent talent placements have been at the 2 year – 10 year PQE level, such as legal counsel and senior legal counsel roles, followed by paralegal and commercial contracts management roles.                                        

Hybrid working still remains the preferred choice for in-house lawyers, with anywhere between 1 to 3 days in the office per week. Fully remote roles are still on offer, mainly with overseas firms hiring UK talent. Flexibility is now a key requirement, and a mandated full time return to the office would encourage many in-house lawyers to seek a new role.

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Enter your region to localise national average salaries. Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, the company’s size, and demand for the role.

Commerce and industry (In-house)

Financial services (In-house)

Position title

25th Percentile

50th Percentile

75th Percentile

General Counsel

127750

146500

171500

Head of Legal

109000

116000

121000

Senior Legal Counsel

86750

96250

107250

Legal Counsel (3 - 6 years PQE)

71750

78500

84250

Legal Counsel (NQ - 2 years PQE)

56750

64000

70250

Paralegal

25250

34500

42000

25th Percentile

The candidate has little or no prior experience in the position and is still developing relevant skills.

50th Percentile

The candidate has an average level of experience and has most of the necessary skills.

75th Percentile

The candidate has above-average experience, has most or all the necessary skills, and may have specialised qualifications

Top jobs in legal

Functional areas in which companies are most likely to hire in Legal

Data protection

Commercial duties

Generalist duties

Corporate duties

Top legal skills

Contract review and negotiation

Contract lifecycle management

Data protection knowledge

Use of legal research tools (e.g. LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law etc.)

Critical thinking

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Commercial mindset

How much should I pay or earn?

Top Legal certifications and degrees

England and Wales Qualified Solicitor

CILEX

LPC

Bachelor/Master of Laws Degrees

Top industries for legal specialists

Renewable energy

Construction and engineering

Asset management

Manufacturing

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The salaries listed in the Salary Guide from Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the UK and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary ranges.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognising that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

Non-salary data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on an online survey developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. During June and July 2024 Robert Half commissioned research amongst 1,500 respondents using an online data collection methodology. The respondents represent 500 hiring managers and 1,000 workers in finance and accounting, IT and technology, administrative and office support, marketing and creative, and the financial services industry. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs to large private, publicly listed and public sector organisations across the UK.

Disclaimer The Salary Guide is solely for noncommercial use, and the copyright is the exclusive property of Robert Half. This guide cannot be reproduced or disseminated in any part without Robert Half’s written permission. ©2024 Robert Half Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer.