Solicitor: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Solicitors and lawyers (SOC 2412)
About £43,732 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +0.2% on last year
£4,766 a month About £3,644 a month after tax 108 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £51,000 in 2021 to £57,198 in 2026 (+12%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £26,650 | £36,183 | £51,000 | £80,836 | x |
| 2022 | £24,876 | £36,355 | £48,531 | £72,626 | x |
| 2023 | £27,144 | £37,750 | £52,008 | x | x |
| 2024 | £27,666 | £39,143 | £51,450 | £70,657 | x |
| 2025 | £29,386 | £42,055 | £57,060 | £78,295 | x |
| 2026 | x | £41,654 | £57,198 | £80,734 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £57,198 a year and half earn more. That is 40% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £41,654 and £80,734.
Ranked by median, it is number 39 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
The mean (£74,738) is well above the median: a minority in this job earn much more than most.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £3,644 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £3,503 in Scotland.
The median for men is £64,266 and for women £54,137, a gap of 16% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | x | x |
| 20th | £37,205 | £3,100 |
| 25th (P25) | £41,654 | £3,471 |
| 30th | £45,106 | £3,759 |
| 40th | £50,861 | £4,238 |
| Median (50th) | £57,198 | £4,766 |
| 60th | £66,215 | £5,518 |
| 70th | £75,222 | £6,269 |
| 75th (P75) | £80,734 | £6,728 |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £64,266 | £89,021 | 45 |
| Women | £54,137 | £64,429 | 63 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £43,732 | £3,644 |
| Scotland | £42,038 | £3,503 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £57,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 20 job titles to SOC 2412 Solicitors and lawyers. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Associate
- Commercial lawyer
- Commercial solicitor
- Criminal lawyer
- Criminal solicitor
- Family lawyer
- Family solicitor
- Lawyer
- Legal associate
- Managing clerk
- Partner
- Probate lawyer
- Property lawyer
- Property solicitor
- Solicitor
- Solicitor of the supreme court
- Solicitor to the council
- Solicitor-partner
- Will lawyer
- Writer to the signet
Similar occupations
All jobs in Professional occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.