How Much Do Trainee Solicitors Earn?
The minimum training salary for trainee solicitors in England and Wales is set each year by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Each year the Authority sets two levels for minimum salaries for trainee solicitors undertaking their two-year training contract. In July this year, the SRA announced that the minimum salary would not rise but would stay the same as the one set for August 2009 to July 2010.
The reason that the trainee solicitor minimum salary has not been increased is due to the current economic climate.
Minimum rates for trainee solicitors
The minimum rates set for trainee solicitors in England and Wales for August 2010 onwards are:
Trainee solicitors in London – £18,590
Trainee solicitors outside London (elsewhere in England and Wales) – £16,650
As well as these minimum rates, the SRA also specifies recommended salaries for trainee solicitors. These are:
London – £19,040
Outside London (elsewhere in England and Wales) – £16,940
Average salaries for trainee solicitors
Although minimum and recommended salaries are set by the SRA, some law firms do pay trainee solicitors a higher rate than this.
Research suggests that currently the average annual wage for a trainee solicitor in the UK is £22,016. This figure is only very slightly down on the 2008/9 findings which suggested that the average earnings were £22,163.
In 2007/8, the average wage was £30,197. This drop is attributed to the economic downturn. In better news, a recent report on law graduate wages found that legal firms offer the best graduate salaries and that the law sector has predicted that wages will rise in the next year.
The legal sector was also in the top five industries which provide the most graduate employment.
Find average solicitor salaries
If you’re interested in training as a solicitor and want to know what your earnings could be, look up training course places in your area or the area you’d like to work in and see what the wages are like.
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