Associate salary rises 8pc in US to median of $135,000 for first years

Average salaries for associates in smaller firms are rising faster - 8% - than those in practices which have more than 700 lawyers, who saw their median salary go up 7.4% in the year to April.

17 April 2015

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The statistics are included in the NALP (National Association for Law Placement) Associate Salary Survey for 2015, based on data from 556 law offices. The median salary for an associate at a 700-lawyer-plus firm is $145,000.

Higher payers

The proportion of first year associates at the larger, 700-plus firms on a salary of $160,000 a year has gone up from 27 to 39% over the last year. The NALP analysis says: 'As might be expected, in many markets, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC, first-year salaries of $160,000 are generally still the single most common salary at the largest firms...' Source: NALP