Compare UK law firm salaries and SQE funding
Every firm’s trainee and newly qualified pay, who covers the SQE and the PGDL and what they add as a maintenance grant, how many training contracts they offer a year, and when applications close. Sort any column, or open a firm for the full profile.
94 firms
A&O Shearman
Magic CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £13,500 grant
70
48
Yes
9 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Addleshaw Goddard
InternationalY1£52,000Y2£56,000
£100,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
60
22
Yes
5 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Akin
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
8
17
Yes
13 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Arnold & Porter
US firmY1£55,660Y2£59,290
£150,000
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
4
16
Yes
30 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Ashfords
RegionalY1£42,000Y2£44,750
£65,000
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
Full fees+ £4,000 grant
15
4
Yes
31 Mar 2027Vacation scheme
Ashurst Perkins Coie
InternationalY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£145,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
40
52
Yes
11 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Baker McKenzie
InternationalY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £16,000 grant
No fee cover
40
70+
Yes
4 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Bevan Brittan
NationalY1£38,000Y2£41,000
£72,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
15
4
Yes
12 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Bird & Bird
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£102,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
18
34
Yes
11 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Brabners
RegionalY1£31,000Y2£33,000
£53,000
Capped £12,500
Capped £12,500
14
3
No
19 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Bristows
SpecialistY1£49,000Y2£52,500
£95,000
Full fees+ £11,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
10
3
Yes
3 Jan 2027Training contract
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Silver CircleY1£53,000Y2£58,000
£125,000
Full fees+ £20,300 grant
Full fees+ £20,300 grant
20
31
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Burges Salmon
NationalY1£51,500Y2£53,500
£78,000
Full fees+ £9,000 grant
Full fees+ £9,000 grant
30
4
Yes
5 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Charles Russell Speechlys
InternationalY1£52,000Y2£55,000
£93,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
25
16
Yes
15 Jan 2027Training contract
Cleary Gottlieb
US firmY1£62,500Y2£67,500
£172,500
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
16
14
Yes
30 Oct 2026Vacation scheme
Clifford Chance
Magic CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
100
30+
Yes
18 Nov 2026Training contract
Clyde & Co
InternationalY1£48,500Y2£51,000
£90,000
Full fees+ £9,600 grant
Full fees+ £9,600 grant
70
70
Yes
19 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
CMS
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£120,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
80
70+
Yes
22 Nov 2026Training contract
Cooley
US firmY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£157,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
6
19
Yes
3 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Covington & Burling
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£165,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
9
14
Yes
15 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Davis Polk
US firmY1£65,000Y2£70,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
—
5
10
Yes
30 Nov 2026Training contract
Debevoise & Plimpton
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£173,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
11
9
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Dechert
US firmY1£55,000Y2£61,000
£165,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
10
19
Yes
31 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Dentons
InternationalY1£54,000Y2£59,000
£112,500
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
25
170+
Yes
23 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
DLA Piper
InternationalY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£140,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
65
90+
Yes
20 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
DWF
NationalY1£45,000Y2£47,000
Undisclosed
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
—
23
35
Yes
13 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Eversheds Sutherland
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£120,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
50
75
Yes
1 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Farrer & Co
Private clientY1£50,000Y2£52,000
£89,000
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
8
1
No
18 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Fieldfisher
InternationalY1£51,000Y2£55,000
£102,000
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
23
28
Yes
6 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Fladgate
Full-serviceY1£50,000Y2£52,000
£94,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
8
1
No
18 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Foot Anstey
RegionalY1£41,000Y2£42,500
£66,000
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
Full fees+ £9,000 grant
15
7
Yes
18 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Freeths
NationalY1£45,000Y2£52,000
£84,000
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
—
20
13
Yes
4 Feb 2027Vacation scheme
Freshfields
Magic CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
75
33
Yes
13 Nov 2026Training contract
Fried Frank
US firmY1£65,000Y2£70,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £13,000 grant
—
4
5
Yes
—
Gibson Dunn
US firmY1£65,000Y2£70,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
25
23
Yes
8 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Goodwin
InternationalY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £18,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
14
17
Yes
4 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Gowling WLG
InternationalY1£52,000Y2£56,000
£108,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
18
20
Yes
18 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Harbottle & Lewis
SpecialistY1£50,000Y2£53,000
£87,000
Full fees+ £6,000 grant
Full fees+ £6,000 grant
6
1
Yes
31 Jan 2027Training contract
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Silver CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£145,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
60
26
Yes
1 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
HFW
SpecialistY1£52,000Y2£56,000
£103,500
Full fees+ £18,000 grant
Full fees+ £18,000 grant
16
22
Yes
7 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Hill Dickinson
InternationalY1£45,000Y2£48,500
£80,000
Full fees+ £11,000 grant
Full fees
±20
12
Yes
15 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Howard Kennedy
Full-serviceY1£45,000Y2£48,000
£83,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
No fee cover
8
1
Yes
—
Irwin Mitchell
NationalY1£44,000Y2£46,000
£79,000
Full fees+ £1,000/month grant
Full fees+ £1,000/month grant
45
25
No
1 Dec 2026Training contract
Jones Day
US firmY1£60,000Y2£70,000
£170,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
20
40
Yes
27 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
K&L Gates
US firmY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£125,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £13,000 grant
8
45
Yes
31 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Kennedys
InternationalY1£45,000Y2£48,000
£85,000
Full fees
Full fees
16
46
Yes
30 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
King & Spalding
US firmY1£62,000Y2£67,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
4
26
Yes
26 Feb 2027Training contract
Kingsley Napley
BoutiqueY1£44,000Y2£48,500
£66-84k
Full fees+ £9,000 grant
£7,000 grant
8
1
Yes
—
Latham & Watkins
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
32
31
Yes
6 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Leigh Day
NationalY1£36,000Y2£38,000
£52,000
Full fees
—
15
10
No
—
Lewis Silkin
SpecialistY1£49,500Y2£54,000
£90,000
Full fees+ £16,500 grant
Full fees+ £16,500 grant
10
9
Yes
21 Dec 2026Training contract
Linklaters
Magic CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
60
29
Yes
2 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Macfarlanes
Silver CircleY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
33
3
Yes
30 Oct 2026Vacation scheme
Mayer Brown
InternationalY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
15
22
Yes
4 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
McDermott Will & Schulte
US firmY1£65,000Y2£70,000
£179,000
Full fees
Full fees
8
20+
No
6 Nov 2026Training contract
Michelmores
NationalY1£37,500Y2£39,500
£80,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £5,000 grant
16
5
Yes
28 Jan 2027Training contract
Milbank
US firmY1£70,000Y2£75,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
15
11
No
11 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Mills & Reeve
NationalY1£46,800Y2£47,000
£84,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
30
7
Yes
7 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Mishcon de Reya
InternationalY1£52,500Y2£57,500
£110,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £11,000 grant
28
6
Yes
27 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Morgan Lewis
US firmY1£57,500Y2£62,500
£173,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
7
33
Yes
15 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Morrison Foerster
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
4
19
Yes
5 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Norton Rose Fulbright
InternationalY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£140,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,500 grant
48
50+
Yes
30 Oct 2026Training contract
Orrick
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£170,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
No fee cover
6
6
No
31 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Osborne Clarke
InternationalY1£55,500Y2£57,500
£97,000
Full fees+ £15,500 grant
Full fees+ £11,300 grant
35
26
Yes
15 Jan 2027Training contract
Paul Hastings
US firmY1£60,000Y2£68,000
£173,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
12
24
Yes
31 May 2027Training contract
Paul Weiss
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£180,000
£20,000 grant
£20,000 grant
10
11
No
14 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Penningtons Manches Cooper
UK Top 50 Law FirmY1£45,000Y2£47,000
£83,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
Full fees+ £6,000 grant
15
12
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Pinsent Masons
InternationalY1£54,000Y2£59,000
£109,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £14,500 grant
50
31
Yes
4 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
Reed Smith
US firmY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£135,000
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
Full fees+ £15,000 grant
24
4
Yes
18 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Ropes & Gray
US firmY1£62,000Y2£67,000
£170,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
15
16
Yes
24 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
RPC
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£100,000
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
15
4
Yes
11 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Russell-Cooke
Full-serviceY1£46,000Y2£48,500
Undisclosed
Capped £10,000
No fee cover
10
3
No
3 Feb 2027Vacation scheme
Shoosmiths
InternationalY1£46,000Y2£48,000
£105,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £5,000 grant
20
14
Yes
—
Sidley Austin
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
19
21
Yes
8 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Simmons & Simmons
InternationalY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£130,000
Full fees+ £18,750 grant
Full fees+ £13,000 grant
24
22
Yes
15 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Simpson Thacher
US firmY1£65,000Y2£70,000
£178,000
£20,000 grant
£20,000 grant
10
14
Yes
20 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Skadden
US firmY1£58,000Y2£63,000
£177,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
20
21
Yes
1 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Slaughter & May
Magic CircleY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£150,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
90
4
Yes
13 Nov 2026Training contract
Squire Patton Boggs
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£110,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
23
4
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Stephenson Harwood
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£55,000
£105,000
Full fees+ £18,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
25
11
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Sullivan & Cromwell
US firmY1£70,000Y2£75,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
12
14
Yes
30 Nov 2026Vacation scheme
TLT
NationalY1£45,500Y2£49,000
£88,000
Full fees+ £12,000 grant
No fee cover
35
7
Yes
20 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Travers Smith
Silver CircleY1£55,000Y2£60,000
£130,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £13,500 grant
38
2
Yes
15 Jan 2027Training contract
Trowers & Hamlins
InternationalY1£50,000Y2£54,000
£90,000
Full fees+ £13,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,500 grant
25
11
Yes
4 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Vinson & Elkins
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£173,077
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
—
6
14
Yes
8 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Walker Morris
RegionalY1£34,000Y2£37,000
£67,000
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
Full fees+ £7,000 grant
—
1
—
31 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Watson Farley & Williams
InternationalY1£51,500Y2£56,000
£107,000
Full fees+ Up to £18,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
19
19
Yes
6 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Wedlake Bell
Full-serviceY1£44,000Y2£47,000
£85,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
8
1
No
3 May 2027Training contract
Weil Gotshal & Manges
InternationalY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£170,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
15
15
Yes
1 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
White & Case
InternationalY1£62,000Y2£67,000
£175,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
50
43
Yes
6 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
US firmY1£60,000Y2£65,000
£180,000
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
Full fees+ £20,000 grant
7
16
No
7 Dec 2026Vacation scheme
Winston Taylor
InternationalY1£56,000Y2£61,000
£125,000
Full fees+ £17,000 grant
Full fees+ £12,500 grant
20
20
Yes
30 Oct 2026Vacation scheme
Withers
Private wealthY1£47,000Y2£52,000
£95,000
Full fees+ £10,000 grant
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
12
15
Yes
8 Jan 2027Training contract
Womble Bond Dickinson
InternationalY1£45,000Y2£47,000
£85,000
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
Full fees+ £8,000 grant
20
42
Yes
25 Jan 2027Vacation scheme
Which firms, specifically
The questions the table answers, pulled out. Every figure here comes from the rows above and updates with them.
Which law firms pay the most to newly qualified solicitors?
Akin, Davis Polk, Gibson Dunn, Latham & Watkins, Paul Weiss, Sullivan & Cromwell and Willkie Farr & Gallagher all pay £180,000 on qualification, the highest in the table. US firms in London dominate the top of this column, and the gap to a mid-sized City firm is wider at newly qualified level than it is in the training contract years. Sort the NQ pay column to see the full order.
What trainee and NQ solicitors actually earnWhich law firms pay for the SQE?
90 of the 94 firms in this table cover SQE course and exam fees in full, including A&O Shearman, Addleshaw Goddard and Akin. Most of them add a maintenance grant on top to live on while you study, which is a separate figure and is shown next to the fee cover in the SQE funding column. A firm that covers fees is not necessarily paying you a grant, and the reverse is also true.
How to fund the SQEWhich firms pay for the PGDL as well as the SQE?
79 firms cover the PGDL in full, the conversion year non-law graduates take before the SQE. A&O Shearman, Addleshaw Goddard and Akin are among them. If you are a non-law student this column matters more than the headline salary, because it is the difference between starting a training contract with a year of fees behind you or not.
Which firms give the biggest maintenance grant?
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (£20,300), A&O Shearman (£20,000) and Akin (£20,000) offer the largest SQE maintenance grants in the table. A grant is money to live on during the study year and is paid on top of any fee cover, so read the two halves of the funding columns together rather than comparing one firm's grant against another firm's fees.
Which firms offer the most training contracts a year?
Clifford Chance (around 100), Slaughter & May (around 90) and CMS (around 80) run the largest intakes. A bigger intake is a better statistical chance, but it also means a larger vacation scheme and more competition for a place on it, so it is worth reading alongside each firm's own application process.
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