Financial penalties - default salaries
30 May 2023
The SRA's approach to financial penalties sets out that where an individual does not provide us with evidence of their income this will be taken to mean that the misconduct will be assessed as being a higher category of seriousness (eg, band B to band C due to the refusal to provide evidence of income).
The decision-maker will then assign a salary to the individual based on the best available information that we have about the individual.
The tables below show the default salaries that we will use.
These salaries have been devised based on our analysis of market data, drawn from surveys of solicitors from multiple recruitment companies. They are based on information about the highest possible salary someone likely might have. The salaries are not the mean or median salaries within the solicitors' profession but are set at a deliberately high level to incentivise someone to provide evidence of their income.
The default salaries use data with respect to maximum salaries and the salaries vary dependent on number of years post-qualified experience (PQE), geographical location (whether inside or outside of London) and whether they are in the private sector, in-house or in the public sector.
The default salaries will be reviewed and amended on an annual basis to take into account fluctuations in the market and ensure they are kept as accurate as possible.
Private practice
|
Seniority |
London |
Other regions |
|---|---|---|
|
Newly-qualified |
£95,000 |
£65,000 |
|
1 year PQE |
£100,000 |
£68,000 |
|
2 year PQE |
£110,000 |
£70,000 |
|
3 year PQE |
£120,000 |
£77,000 |
|
4 year PQE |
£130,000 |
£80,000 |
|
5 year PQE |
£150,000 |
£85,000 |
|
6+ year PQE |
£200,000 |
£85,000 |
Public sector
|
Seniority |
London |
Other regions |
|---|---|---|
|
Assistant solicitor |
£42,000 |
£32,000 |
|
Senior solicitor |
£48,000 |
£39,000 |
|
Principal solicitor |
£60,000 |
£50,000 |
|
Head of Department |
£67,000 |
£67,000 |
|
Head of Legal |
£90,000 |
£65,000 |
|
Director of Legal |
£100,000 |
£100,000 |
In-house solicitors (private practice)
|
Seniority |
London |
Other regions |
|---|---|---|
|
Newly-qualified |
£70,000 |
£50,000 |
|
1 year PQE |
£75,000 |
£55,000 |
|
2 year PQE |
£80,000 |
£60,000 |
|
3 year PQE |
£85,000 |
£70,000 |
|
4 year PQE |
£90,000 |
£75,000 |
|
5 year PQE |
£100,000 |
£80,000 |
|
6+ year PQE |
£110,000 |
£85,000 |
|
Compliance Counsel |
£150,000 |
£90,000 |
|
Head of Legal |
£185,000 |
£125,000 |
|
General Counsel |
£210,000 |
£200,000 |