Legal associate professionals: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time legal associate professionals in the UK earned a median £34,662 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £4,377 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 207th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The mean, £41,051, is 18% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £34,009 a year, men £37,265 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 48,000 employee jobs, 85% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 19.4%, from £29,019, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 57,300 people in this line of work, 20% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,396 | £470.60 | £13.14 | £17,581 | £425.90 | £13.13 |
| 20th percentile | £25,542 | £500.70 | £14.07 | £23,003 | £474.10 | £13.82 |
| 25th percentile | £27,597 | £533.70 | £14.38 | £24,655 | £498.30 | £14.29 |
| 30th percentile | £28,743 | £557.00 | £15.33 | £25,996 | £512.80 | £15.13 |
| 40th percentile | £31,595 | £614.10 | £16.65 | £29,125 | £574.90 | £16.24 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £34,662 | £675.00 | £18.40 | £32,438 | £632.40 | £17.77 |
| 60th percentile | £38,092 | £748.80 | £20.61 | £35,593 | £725.00 | £19.78 |
| 70th percentile | £42,052* | £862.30 | £23.37 | £40,143* | £810.60 | £22.75 |
| 75th percentile | – | £914.60* | £25.97* | £43,061* | £865.10* | £24.62* |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £979.00* | £27.14* |
| Mean | £41,051 | £840.00 | £23.14 | £38,423 | £789.60 | £22.77 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £29,019 | £567.10 | £15.32 | £28,238 | £545.20 | 40 |
| 2022 revised | £29,416 | £574.90 | £15.49 | £28,266 | £547.50 | 41 |
| 2023 revised | £31,352 | £609.50 | £16.91 | £29,336 | £574.90 | 50 |
| 2024 revised | £33,172 | £651.20 | £17.92 | £30,664 | £600.40 | 47 |
| 2025 provisional | £34,662 | £675.00 | £18.40 | £32,438 | £632.40 | 48 |
Legal associate professionals by region
UK: 57,300 (± 9,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 11 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 11,400* | ± 4,200 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What legal associate professionals do
Legal associate professionals provide administrative support for legal professionals and investigate and make recommendations on legal matters that do not fall within the province of a normal court of law. (ONS SOC 2020, 3520)
Also covers: barrister’s clerk, compliance officer (legal services), law costs draftsman, legal assistant, litigator, paralegal assistant, advocates' clerk, barrister's clerk, compliance officer, conveyancing executive, conveyancing manager, coroner's officer, costs lawyer, costs negotiator, document specialist, fee earner, immigration adviser and immigration caseworker (51 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Runs chambers on behalf of principals, develops the practice, manages the flow of work, decides which cases to accept, arranges appropriate fees and prepares financial records
- Ensures judges have the necessary legal other documents, manages their diary and carries out other administrative duties collates information, drafts briefs and other documents
- Attends court to assist barristers and solicitors in the presentation of a case
- Ensures their organisation complies with relevant regulations and their organisational policies
- Assists in all aspects of probate and common law practice
- Draws up schedules of legal costs and advises on the allocation of legal costs and the level of legal fees
Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades in appropriate subject areas. Off and on-the-job training is available. Membership of professional institutions will be required for some posts. Candidates must pass professional examinations and complete up to five years of practical experience.
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Legal associate professionals (median £34,662) · Ship and hovercraft officers · Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026