It’s that time of the year again: the time to see how your salary measures up against everyone else’s and how you might do in the year ahead. Robert Half Legal, the legal staffing agency, has released its 2017 Salary Guide, a survey of legal professional salaries across a wide range of careers, practice areas, and years of experience.

So far, 2017 is looking like a decent year to be a lawyer, as most attorneys can expect a fair increase over last year’s salary, particularly attorneys with four or more years of experience. Here are the highlights.

The Robert Half survey examines salaries by firm size and years of experience, looking only at salary and not additional pay such as bonuses, perks, and other compensation. We’ve included a quick overview of expected 2017 salaries and their percent increase over 2016 below, but if you want to the full view, including information on support staff, in-house counsel, and geographic differences, you’ll have to download the full report.

2.8

2.3

3.5

4.0

4.8

6.9

4.7

5.9

4.3

5.8

Where the Growth Is

There you have it. Our congratulations go out to litigation attorneys at small/midsize firms with four to nine years of experience. Enjoy that new house, new car, or final loan payment!

  1. Litigation, identified as a growth area by 36 percent of respondents
  2. General business and commercial law, 25 percent
  3. Personal and family law, eight percent
  4. Real estate law, four percent
  5. Intellectual property, three percent.

Have an open position at your law firm? Post the job for free on Indeed.

Related Resources:

  • Here’s What Lawyers Should Make in 2016: How Do You Compare? (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • 3 Ways an Attorney Can Raise Rates Without Losing Clients (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • Free Law Firm Growth Calculator Lets You Set Path for Success (FindLaw’s Strategist)

FindLaw has an affiliate relationship with Indeed, earning a small amount of money each time someone uses Indeed’s services via FindLaw. FindLaw receives no compensation in exchange for editorial coverage.

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