NALP - The Association for Legal Career Professionals | Salary Trends

Salary Trends — A 15-Year Overview

NALP Bulletin, July 2005

The table provides a 15-year overview of law firm starting salaries, based on NALP’s annual Employment Report and Salary Survey (now published as Jobs & JD’s: Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates). Median salaries at the largest firms of more than 100 lawyers have remained quite stable for the past five years, in contrast to the mid to late 1990s, when large law firm starting salaries saw dramatic increases.

The current stability now resembles another period of stability in the early 1990s. Median salaries at smaller firms have increased by 60% or less over the period, with the early 1990s again being a period of relative stability.

Median Starting Salaries by Firm Size — 1990-2004

Year	FIRM SIZE (Number of Attorneys)
Year	All Sizes	2-10	11-25	26-50	51-100	101-250	251-500	501+
1990	$50,000	$30,000	$40,000	$45,000	$53,000	$60,000	$70,000	$70,000
1991	50,000	30,000	40,000	48,000	55,000	61,000	70,000	70,000
1992	47,500	30,000	40,000	48,000	54,000	60,000	70,000	70,000
1993	48,000	30,000	40,000	48,000	54,000	61,750	70,000	70,000
1994	50,000	32,000	40,000	48,000	55,000	60,080	70,000	70,000
1995	50,000	32,500	40,000	48,000	55,000	62,000	72,000	72,000
1996	50,000	34,000	40,000	49,000	55,000	62,000	74,000	77,000
1997	55,000	35,000	42,000	50,000	58,000	67,000	79,000	80,000
1998	60,000	37,000	43,500	52,000	62,000	72,000	85,000	90,000
1999	70,000	40,000	46,000	55,000	70,000	80,000	92,000	97,000
2000	80,000	40,000	50,000	60,000	76,000	99,500	125,000*	125,000*
2001	90,000	43,000	52,000	62,000	80,000	100,000	125,000*	125,000*
2002	90,000	45,000	52,500	65,000	80,000	100,000	125,000*	125,000*
2003	80,000	45,000	55,000	65,000	80,000	95,000	125,000*	125,000*
2004	80,000	48,000	55,000	65,000	76,000	100,000	116,000	125,000*
% Change, 1990-2004	60%	60%	37%	44%	43%	67%	66%	79%

* The median for these categories is technically $125,000 based on a ranking of all reported salaries. However, because about half of the reported salaries were $125,000, the concept of a modal, or prevailing, salary is more useful.

Source: Employment Report & Salary Survey reports/Jobs & JD’s reports for the Classes of 1990-2004.

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