• Browse jobs
  • Find the right job type for you
  • Explore how we help job seekers
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Technology
  • Marketing and Creative
  • Administrative and Customer Support
  • Legal
  • Preview candidates
  • Contract talent
  • Permanent talent
  • Learn how we work with you
  • Executive search
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Technology
  • Marketing and Creative
  • Administrative and Customer Support
  • Legal
  • Technology
  • Risk, Audit and Compliance
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience
  • Legal
  • Operations
  • Human Resources
  • 2025 Salary Guide
  • Demand for Skilled Talent Report
  • Building Future-Forward Tech Teams
  • Job Market Outlook
  • Press Room
  • Salary and hiring trends
  • Adaptive working
  • Competitive advantage
  • Work/life balance
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Browse jobs Find your next hire Our locations
    View salaries by category
    Enter your city to localize national average salaries. Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, the company’s size and industry, and demand for the role.
    Law Firm Corporate (In-House) Paralegal, Legal Assistant & Operations Legal Support and Records General Administration Compliance Administration Contract Management Legal Specialist Litigation Support/eDiscovery
    Position Title 25th Percentile 50th Percentile 75th Percentile Lawyer/Attorney, 10+ Years’ Experience 139250 169000 195500 Lawyer/Attorney, 4-9 Years’ Experience 107500 137000 170250 Lawyer/Attorney, 2-3 Years’ Experience 96500 120750 149750 First-Year Lawyer/Attorney 79250 97250 126500 Business and Ethics Lawyer/Attorney 100000 145000 180000 Director of Legal Administration 88250 99500 120000
    25th Percentile
    The candidate is new to the role and building the needed skills, experience and autonomy.
    50th Percentile
    The candidate has the experience to perform core responsibilities without direct supervision and is comfortable with the role’s processes and subject matter.
    75th Percentile
    The candidate delivers value beyond the stated job duties, has advanced qualifications and experience, and is ready for the next career level.

    Salary and Hiring Trends in Legal

    Compliance, privacy drive in-house hiring

    Corporate legal teams seek compliance and data privacy professionals to navigate evolving regulations, mitigate risks, protect sensitive data and improve operational efficiency for the company. Organizations also want to hire candidates to support risk management, business continuity and governance efforts. As legal departments evolve, so do talent needs

    Law firms seek litigation support, trial attorneys

    Many law firms need more discovery, trial preparation and litigation support professionals, due in part to tight deadlines as courts continue to push through case backlogs. This places trial attorneys, legal assistants and paralegals in high demand. Learn more about the demand for skilled talent

    How much should I pay or earn?

    Salaries for hard-to-staff positions, such as lawyers and paralegals, are increasing the most. Professionals in these roles might be willing to quit to secure a raise. This puts corporate legal departments, which generally can’t match the big paychecks law firms can offer, at a hiring disadvantage. Offering remote or hybrid work options can help corporate teams sway candidates.  of legal professionals say remote work options are among the perks they value most. of legal professionals say remote work options are among the perks they value most.

    Advanced practice area
    expertise
    Compliance and risk
    management
    Contract management Data analytics Advanced practice area
    expertise
    Compliance and risk
    management
    Contract management Data analytics
    Legal organizations are turning to AI to enhance efficiency and accelerate key tasks such as research. Some law firms are building their own proprietary generative AI models rather than using ChatGPT or similar platforms. These projects create more demand for professionals with advanced technology skills. of legal managers are recruiting for different skills due to advancements in AI and automation. of legal managers are recruiting for different skills due to advancements in AI and automation.

    are bringing in contract talent or consultants to assist with AI-related projects. are bringing in contract talent or consultants to assist with AI-related projects.

    Legal administrative Legal administrative

    Law firm administration Law firm administration

    Legal specialists Legal specialists

    General administrative General administrative

    The hottest legal jobs, practice areas and industries

    Practice areas
  • Ethics and corporate governance
  • Family law
  • Labor and employment law
  • Litigation 
  • Privacy, data security and information law
  • Industries
  • Financial services
  • Government
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing 
  • Upskilling
    employees
    Paying for
    professional
    certifications
    Reskilling
    employees for
    new roles
    Using
    managed
    services
    Upskilling
    employees
    Paying for
    professional
    certifications
    Reskilling
    employees for
    new roles
    Using
    managed
    services

    We know talent, and we’re here to help

    Robert Half’s talent solutions professionals help job seekers advance their careers and help hiring managers find skilled candidates. Find a job Hire talent Hiring managers: Need more insights? Schedule a Salary Guide walk-through
    The salary benchmarks 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 country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary ranges. Learn more about our methodology. The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Company size, industry and the availability of remote work options can influence salaries. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels. Non-salary data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents include hiring managers and workers from small (1-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-plus employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the United States.