Attention legal professionals: the most current
attorney salary trends across U.S. law firms have been published in the 2026 edition of a comprehensive compensation guide. This detailed resource was compiled to offer attorneys, recruiting professionals and law-firm leadership an authoritative look at salaries by practice area, region and experience level.
Learn more from this guide: The Definitive 2026 Guide to Attorney Salaries in the United States: Comprehensive Law Firm Compensation Data by Practice Area, Region, and Level
Attorney Salary Trends Overview
In this new guide, attorney salary trends are illuminated across multiple dimensions.
First year associates in major law firms have been shown to receive base salaries around $225,000 in 2025, with total compensation reaching approximately $245,000–$251,000 when bonuses are included. Furthermore,
partner compensation varies widely by practice area: for example, Corporate/M&A partners average nearly $1.92 million, while Employment/Labor partners average around $929,000. These variations underscore how attorney salary trends differ based on specialization and seniority.
Practice Area & Firm Tier Impact on Attorney Salary Trends
Attorney salary trends also reflect the influence of firm size and practice area specialty. For example,
global-elite firms pay first-year associates approximately $225,000, while boutiques may offer closer to $150,000. Within practice areas, Private Equity in Corporate/M&A commands a premium of 15-25 % over the general corporate rate, and White Collar Criminal Defense in Litigation commands 20-30 % above general litigation. Thus, selection of practice area and firm tier plays a critical role in understanding attorney salary trends.
Forecasting Future Attorney Salary Trends
Looking ahead, attorney salary trends are forecasted to evolve modestly between 2026 and 2029. First-year associate salaries are projected to climb to about $230,000 by 2026, with partner compensation expected to reach around $1.565 million that same year. While overall growth is moderate, the guide anticipates more pronounced divergence by practice area and region, especially as specialization, automation and alternative legal service providers reshape the landscape.
Strategic Implications for Attorneys and Firms
For attorneys, these
attorney salary trends suggest several actionable strategies: evaluate lateral moves with 3–6 years’ experience, consider secondary markets for enhanced purchasing power and focus on high-growth practice areas such as Corporate and IP. For law-firm leadership, the trends emphasize the importance of
aligning compensation with market rates by practice area and geography, investing in talent retention and adapting hiring strategies based on evolving demand.
This announcement underscores that attorney salary trends have become a central benchmark for career planning and recruitment in the legal sector. The new 2026 compensation guide equips professionals and firms with data-driven insights to navigate a competitive market. Interested parties are encouraged to consult the full report to access granular data, detailed methodology and region-specific analyses.
Learn more from this guide: The Definitive 2026 Guide to Attorney Salaries in the United States: Comprehensive Law Firm Compensation Data by Practice Area, Region, and LevelThe post
U.S. Attorney Salary Trends 2026 first appeared on
JDJournal Blog.
