Salary Survey 2026/2027

We’re nearly ready to release the 2026/27 edition of our Sacco Mann Legal Salary Survey, and the last 12 months have continued to see a bit of a shake-up in the regional legal market.

One of the most interesting things, in my opinion, about salaries across the regions over recent years has been the growing disparity in NQ pay between firms that have traditionally been viewed as being in a similar peer group.

Take the situation here in Leeds, for example. One very large international firm is currently paying £84,000 at NQ level, comfortably at the top end of the market. Meanwhile, another international firm considered to be among the traditional Leeds’ ‘big six’ has held its NQ salary in the mid £60ks. That’s a gap of almost £20,000 between two firms that would historically have been seen as operating in a similar tier – more than double the salary gap between the highest and lowest payers in the top tier 5 years ago. 

Other leading firms across the regional markets sit somewhere between those two benchmarks, creating an increasingly varied picture of NQ salaries, even amongst firms competing for similar talent.

We’ve also seen other medium to large firms looking to strengthen their position against the more established international practices. One large national firm is now offering £67,000 at NQ level in the regions, adding another dimension to an already varied market.

Interestingly, the picture starts to look a little different as you move further up the career ladder. Salaries at Senior Associate and Legal Director level appear to be more closely aligned between firms (depending on practice area etc.), which raises an important question: how are law firms managing the squeeze in the middle? 

As ever, salary is only one part of the picture when it comes to attracting and retaining good lawyers. But with such variation across the regional market, understanding where your firm sits against its competitors – and how that compares with the experience and contribution of your existing team – is becoming increasingly important.

We’ll be exploring these trends in more detail in our 2026/27 Sacco Mann Legal Salary Survey, looking at how salaries compare across the regions and what this means for firms and lawyers at different stages of their careers.

If you’d like to request a copy, please do get in touch with Sophie.linley@saccomann.com and we will ensure that’s sent to you over the coming weeks. 

Sophie Linley 
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