Legal Cheek reveals what firms are paying 
The battle among leading firms to attract the best young talent is as fierce as ever, with some graduates now pocketing starting salaries of up to £65,000 fresh off the back of the SQE.
As with newly qualified salaries and partner profits, the top of the table is dominated by the usual line-up of US heavyweights, with Davis Polk, Milbank and Sullivan & Cromwell leading the pack on a market-leading £65,000 for first-year trainees.
Among UK firms, Ashurst takes the crown at £57,000, closely followed by the Magic Circle and a host of City players clustered around the £55,000–£56,000 mark.
First-year salaries are only part of the picture. Trainees usually see a pay rise of around £5,000 in their second year, though increases can range from as little as £1,000 to as much as £8,000.
These latest figures follow a wave of pay increases for both trainees and NQs during the spring and summer months.
It’s also worth noting that some of the figures are for regional offices where firms either do not have a presence in the capital or do not recruit trainees in their London office.
You can view all our salary data, including rates for second-year trainees and newly qualified lawyers, on our 2026 Legal Cheek Firms Most List
How much are first-year trainees earning?
| Law firm |
First-year trainee pay |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell |
£65,000 |
| Milbank |
£65,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell |
£65,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
£62,500 |
| King & Spalding |
£62,000 |
| White & Case |
£62,000 |
| Akin |
£60,000 |
| Gibson Dunn |
£60,000 |
| Jones Day |
£60,000 |
| Kirkland & Ellis |
£60,000 |
| Latham & Watkins |
£60,000 |
| Morrison Foerster |
£60,000 |
| Orrick |
£60,000 |
| Paul Hastings |
£60,000 |
| Paul Weiss |
£60,000 |
| Ropes & Gray |
£60,000 |
| Sidley Austin |
£60,000 |
| Vinson & Elkins |
£60,000 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges |
£60,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher |
£60,000 |
| Morgan Lewis |
£57,500 |
| Ashurst |
£57,000 |
| A&O Shearman |
£56,000 |
| Baker McKenzie |
£56,000 |
| Clifford Chance |
£56,000 |
| Freshfields |
£56,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer |
£56,000 |
| Hogan Lovells |
£56,000 |
| Linklaters |
£56,000 |
| Macfarlanes |
£56,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright |
£56,000 |
| Slaughter and May |
£56,000 |
| Winston & Strawn |
£56,000 |
| Cooley |
£55,000 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton |
£55,000 |
| Dechert |
£55,000 |
| Fried Frank |
£55,000 |
| Goodwin |
£55,000 |
| Katten |
£55,000 |
| Mayer Brown |
£55,000 |
| Osborne Clarke |
£55,000 |
| Travers Smith |
£55,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons |
£54,000 |
| Reed Smith |
£53,000 |
| Addleshaw Goddard |
£52,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys |
£52,000 |
| DLA Piper |
£52,000 |
| Dentons |
£52,000 |
| HFW |
£52,000 |
| Pinsent Masons |
£52,000 |
| Taylor Wessing |
£52,000 |
| Watson Farley & Williams |
£51,000 |
| BCLP |
£50,000 |
| CMS |
£50,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland |
£50,000 |
| Greenberg Traurig |
£50,000 |
| Haynes Boone |
£50,000 |
| K&L Gates |
£50,000 |
| Mishcon de Reya |
£50,000 |
| Squire Patton Boggs |
£50,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood |
£50,000 |
| Harbottle & Lewis |
£49,000 |
| Payne Hicks Beach |
£49,000 |
| Bird & Bird |
£48,500 |
| Clyde & Co |
£48,500 |
| Farrer & Co |
£48,500 |
| Fieldfisher |
£48,500 |
| Gowling WLG |
£48,500 |
| Bristows |
£48,000 |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper |
£48,000 |
| RPC |
£48,000 |
| Wiggin |
£48,000 |
| Lewis Silkin |
£47,500 |
| Burges Salmon |
£47,000 |
| Forsters |
£47,000 |
| Trowers & Hamlins |
£47,000 |
| Withers |
£47,000 |
| Russell-Cooke |
£46,000 |
| TLT |
£45,500 |
| Howard Kennedy |
£45,000 |
| Shoosmiths |
£44,000 |
| Irwin Mitchell |
£43,500 |
| Bates Wells |
£43,000 |
| Hill Dickinson |
£43,000 |
| Kennedys |
£43,000 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson |
£43,000 |
| DAC Beachcroft |
£42,000 |
| Wedlake Bell |
£42,000 |
| Maples Teesdale |
£41,837 |
| Foot Anstey |
£40,000 |
| Kingsley Napley |
£40,000 |
| Marriott Harrison |
£40,000 |
| Shakespeare Martineau |
£40,000 |
| Stevens & Bolton |
£40,000 |
| Winckworth Sherwood |
£40,000 |
| Gateley |
£39,000 |
| DWF |
£38,000 |
| Michelmores |
£37,500 |
| Ashfords |
£35,000 |
| Birketts |
£34,000 |
| Weightmans |
£34,000 |
| Mills & Reeve |
£33,800 |
| Cripps |
£33,000 |
| Walker Morris |
£31,500 |
| Moore Barlow |
£30,000 |
| Brabners |
£29,000 |
| Express Solicitors |
£28,500 |
You can view all our salary data, including rates for second-year trainees and newly qualified lawyers Legal Cheek Firms Most List