In this article our partners ILSPA - The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs share salary insights for the role of a legal secretary
Legal secretary salaries
Salaries for Legal Secretaries can vary greatly depending on your skills and experience, the type of firm where the role is based, and the area where the firm is located. For example, salaries for Legal Secretaries can start at around £20,000 per year and increase to as much as £50,000 per year in London. Outside London, however, salaries might be slightly lower.
The best way to determine what you would be earning as a Legal Secretary would be to look at the vacancies in your area to see what salaries are currently being offered. If you take a look at a Legal Secretary Jobs Board, you can gain a good understanding of what you can expect to earn.
There are some things that you need to bear in mind when predicating or even negotiating a salary. Legal Secretary positions vary, and the specific nature of the job can have an effect on your salary. A Junior Legal Secretary will earn a lower wage but acquire valuable experience. The more experience you gain, the more you can move up the ladder and acquire a higher salary.
Firms that expect their Legal Secretary to take on more responsibility will offer higher wages to reflect this.
The more knowledgeable and skilled you are, the more you’ll be worth. If you are unfamiliar with legal terms or tasks, the firm that hires you will have to spend time or money training you to perform the role. A qualification such as a Legal Secretaries Diploma is hugely beneficial in this respect, especially if you do not have experience. It will provide you with the legal knowledge and skills you need to be a competent Legal Secretary.
As with most professions, the prestige of the company you work for will also determine how much you will earn as a Legal Secretary. If you’re hired by a firm that’s part of the Magic Circle, chances are you’ll earn more than if you’re hired by a smaller, lesser-known Solicitor’s practice.
Large international law firms are also known to pay their employees well and have great ethics in terms of staff relations. Prestigious firms bring in more revenue, so they can afford to invest in their staff.
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