Law Society recommends rise in trainee salary
updated on 02 August 2023
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Trainees should be paid £23,122 outside of London and £26,068 in London, the Law Society has said as part of the annual minimum salary review.
These new amounts mean that aspiring lawyers undertaking qualifying work experience (QWE) as part of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, or those with a training contract, could see a salary increase of 9.98% when it comes into effect in September.
The current recommended salary for trainee solicitors is £21,024 outside of London and £23,703 in the capital. In comparison to the 9.98% suggested increase for the 2023-24 academic year, the rise in 2023-2023 was 3.99%.
The recommended minimum salary amount isn’t a regulatory requirement of law firms and legal employers, but a matter of voluntary good practice.
Lubna Shuja, president of the Law Society commented: “We consider the increase in the recommended salary for aspiring solicitors to be appropriate at this time.
“There are a range of factors that were considered during our discussions around the minimum salary policy and uplift, including the rise in cost-of-living expenses – which have particularly hit those on lower salaries – and the economic impact on solicitors’ businesses.
“We encourage employers to consider this recommendation when looking at how much they’ll pay their employees. The policy applies to anyone undertaking a period of recognised training, such as a training contract, or anyone employed with the primary purpose of gaining QWE.”
