Solicitors and lawyers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time solicitors and lawyers in the UK earned a median £56,977 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 46% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 28th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £42,015 and £77,509.
The mean, £73,424, is 29% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £52,095 a year, men £63,337 a year.
Full-time paid hours are shorter than usual, a median of 35 a week.
ASHE counts roughly 150,000 employee jobs, 86% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 11.7%, from £51,000, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 216,100 people in this line of work, 31% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £29,279 | £574.90 | £15.88 | £26,807 | £552.00 | £16.21 |
| 20th percentile | £38,007 | £728.30 | £20.09 | £33,551 | £670.80 | £20.46 |
| 25th percentile | £42,015 | £804.90 | £22.15 | £37,751 | £751.60 | £22.46 |
| 30th percentile | £44,585 | £862.40 | £23.36 | £41,412 | £804.90 | £23.51 |
| 40th percentile | £50,999 | £984.90 | £27.48 | £47,754 | £933.50 | £27.62 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £56,977 | £1,112.70 | £30.83 | £53,314 | £1,054.10 | £30.66 |
| 60th percentile | £63,644 | £1,245.70 | £33.93 | £61,197 | £1,181.00 | £33.84 |
| 70th percentile | £72,546 | £1,395.80 | £38.40 | £68,308 | £1,321.80 | £38.33 |
| 75th percentile | £77,509 | £1,494.90 | £41.92 | £74,190 | £1,444.90 | £41.63 |
| 80th percentile | £84,961* | £1,629.00 | £44.89 | £81,138 | £1,566.10 | £44.80 |
| Mean | £73,424 | £1,346.80 | £37.30 | £68,462 | £1,277.50 | £37.18 |
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 | £51,000 | £958.20 | £26.55 | £47,314 | £901.00 | 135 |
| 2022 revised | £48,531 | £958.20 | £26.13 | £45,871 | £908.30 | 134 |
| 2023 revised | £52,008* | £958.20 | £27.05 | £47,633 | £955.80 | 130 |
| 2024 revised | £51,450 | £1,054.10 | £29.51 | £49,934 | £976.40 | 129 |
| 2025 provisional | £56,977 | £1,112.70 | £30.83 | £53,314 | £1,054.10 | 150 |
Solicitors and lawyers by region
UK: 216,100 (± 18,000), April 2025 to March 2026. 3 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 67,000* | ± 13,300 |
| South East | 26,500* | ± 6,500 |
| North West | 24,900* | ± 6,000 |
| East of England | 22,700* | ± 6,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14,600* | ± 4,500 |
| West Midlands | 13,200* | ± 4,700 |
| Scotland | 12,000* | ± 4,000 |
| South West | 11,900* | ± 3,900 |
| Wales | 5,600* | ± 2,100 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What solicitors and lawyers do
Solicitors advise and act on behalf of individuals, organisations, businesses and government departments in legal matters. (ONS SOC 2020, 2412)
Also covers: lawyer, managing clerk (qualified solicitor), solicitor, solicitor-partner, solicitor to the council, commercial lawyer, commercial solicitor, criminal lawyer, criminal solicitor, family lawyer, family solicitor, probate lawyer, property lawyer, property solicitor, will lawyer, lawyer (commercial law), lawyer (criminal law) and lawyer (family law) (25 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Draws up contracts, leases, wills and other legal documents
- Undertakes legal business on behalf of client in areas of business law, criminal law, probate, conveyancing and litigation, and acts as trustee or executor if required
- Instructs counsel in higher and lower courts and pleads cases in lower courts as appropriate
- Scrutinises statements, reports and legal documents relevant to the case being undertaken and prepares papers for court
- Represents clients in court
Entry to training usually requires a qualifying law degree or postgraduate diploma. Apprenticeships are also available. Graduates in subjects other than law must first take a one year conversion course. All entrants undertake a one year legal practice course, followed by a two year training contract. From 2021 Solicitors also need to pass the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination.
Related
Legal professionals (median £50,306) · Barristers and judges · Legal professionals n.e.c. · salary percentile · UK real pay growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026