More than 1,100 legal professionals across Australia have spoken — and their insights reveal the state of salaries, satisfaction, bonuses and benefits in one of the country’s most comprehensive legal salary surveys.
Now in its second year, the College of Law 2025 Australian Legal Salary Survey sets the benchmark for remuneration across the legal profession. It’s designed to:
- Equip legal professionals with the data they need for informed career planning and salary negotiations
- Support firms and organisations in developing fair, competitive and sustainable remuneration strategies
- Provide a snapshot of satisfaction trends across different roles, sectors and employers in the legal industry
Here’s what the legal community had to say.
Explore key insights, salary trends, and practical tips to support your career or organisation:
- Salary Survey Report: A comprehensive overview of salaries, satisfaction, and career trends across the legal profession.
- Organisation Profiles: See how your organisation compares, with tailored insights and benchmarking data.
“We have seen the average base salary rise by 7% on last year’s data, which is significantly above inflation, but this is the first year we have asked lawyers who they actually feel about their compensation, which is also telling.”
- Marcus Martin, Group CEO, College of Law
YEAR-ON-YEAR SNAPSHOT: WHAT’S CHANGED SINCE 2024?
From salaries to satisfaction, here’s where the legal profession has shifted most.
| OVERALL KEY INSIGHTS | 2024 | 2025 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average base salary | $102,100 | $109,353 | ↑ 7% |
| Average bonus amount | $11,136 | $15,247 | ↑ 37% |
| Billable hours targets | Individual: 6 hrs Team: 21 hrs |
Individual: 6 hrs Team: 20 hrs |
↓ 1 hour for team targets |
| Professionals incentivised for billable targets | 38% | 28% | ↓ 10 percentage points |
| Education support discussed | 17% | 12% | ↓ 5 percentage points |
| Scheduled performance reviews | 79% | 67% | ↓ 12 percentage points |
| Pay satisfaction | Not Available | 38% unsatisfied | Key concern |
| Average gender pay-gap | 10% | 16% | ↓ 6 percentage points |
| Membership Law Society | 45% | 52% | ↑ 7 percentage points |
1. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL BASE SALARY HAS GROWN BY 7%
The legal profession saw a solid 7% average increase in base salaries across 2025 with the average base salary $109,353 compared to $102,100 in 2024’s survey result.
This signals robust growth in a sector still grappling with inflation and talent shortages.
2. PERFORMANCE-BASED BONUSES ARE RISING
The average bonus has increased by 37% this year, from $11,136 to $15,247. What’s striking is that bonus eligibility remained flat, sitting at around one in three legal professionals. In other words, the pool hasn’t widened – but the rewards for those already in it have grown significantly.
3. NEARLY 40% OF LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ARE UNSATISFIED WITH THEIR PAY
Despite a positive outlook for salaries and bonuses, 38% of legal professionals have said they are unsatisfied with their renumeration. There’s a cultural dimension at play, too. Across the board, legal professionals say work-life balance matters more than a high salary alone. This signals a growing appetite for flexibility, wellbeing and time away from work.
4. THE AVERAGE GENDER PAY GAP HAS INCREASED
Typically, women are earning less than their male counterparts in the same role within the same level of experience. Base salaries show variation by gender with an average difference of 16% favouring males.
5. THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU EARN
The level of education remains a key differentiator. Lawyers with postgraduate qualifications continue to out earn their peers averaging salaries north of $131k. This is especially evident with legal professionals who have been working 6-10 years who hold additional qualifications.
SALARY SURVEY REPORT
Discover the key insights, salary trends and recommendations to help you in your legal career with Where’s Next?
WHERE'S NEXT?
If, after reading the report, you’re pondering ‘Where's Next?’ in your career, visit the College of Law postgraduate website or to chat with us you can book a call.
