Many professionals in this area work long hours, with
the stories of all-nighters in the corporate law division running in a
similar vein to those of investment bankers. Other departments such as
those dealing with private clients are less so.
They may work you hard, but they will pay you well. The minimum salary
as of August 2005 was £16,450 for trainees in Central London and
£14,720 for everyone else.
But according to a 2004 survey of the 50 largest commercial firms by
The Lawyer's sister magazine Lawyer 2B, the average salary for 77 per
cent of first-year trainees was between £25,000 and £28,999. A survey
by the Association of Graduate Recruiters found this starting salary
was eclipsed only by investment bankers and consultants, so you will
quickly be reaping the rewards of all those years of studying.
Upon qualification, solicitors can expect to earn between £40,000 and
£50,000.
