SALARY
GUIDES

Know Your Value.
Understand Your Market.

Whether you're a law firm benchmarking salaries to attract and retain the best talent, or a legal professional weighing up your next career move, our 2026 Salary Guides will give you the data you need to make confident, informed decisions.

Drawing on real survey responses from legal professionals across London and the wider UK market, we've produced two dedicated guides – one for Associates, and one for legal support specialists – covering salary benchmarks, bonus structures, hybrid working trends, and the benefits that matter most to today's legal workforce.

Because whether you're hiring or job hunting, understanding the market is where every good decision starts.

The Birchrose Salary Guide 2026: Associates

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The Birchrose Salary Guide 2026: Legal Support

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FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS

Where does your salary data come from?

Our data comes from three sources: ATLAS, a specialist legal market intelligence platform, surveys we conduct directly with legal professionals across London and the wider UK, and finally, our own established database. Meaning, the figures reflect current market reality, not aggregated data from other industries or outdated sources.

Who are your guides designed for?

We produce two separate guides – one for the Associate market and one for the legal support market – so whether you're a law firm benchmarking compensation packages or a legal professional weighing up a move, our salary guides are relevant to both our clients and candidates.

How should candidates use these guides?

If you’re considering a move or preparing for a salary review, our guides provide a clear, honest view of where your current salary sits in relation to the wider market. It goes beyond base pay to include bonus structures and the benefits that legal professionals genuinely prioritise.

How often are your salary guides updated?

We publish updated salary guides annually. The legal market moves quickly, so in addition to reading our guides we'd always recommend speaking to one of our consultants to gauge how current trends may be impacting your specific role or practice area in real time.

Do your guides cover the whole UK or just London?

Our 2026 Associate guide draws on responses from legal professionals across the UK, but with a greater focus on those working in London. Whilst our 2026 Legal Support guide is focused exclusively on the London market.

HOW SHOULD LAW FIRMS USE THESE GUIDES?

Use them to sense-check your current salary bandings, shape competitive and compelling offers, and gain a clear understanding of current candidate expectations, including bonus structures, hybrid working arrangements and wider benefits. Firms that benchmark regularly are better positioned to retain top talent and secure high-quality hires in a competitive market.