For entry-level positions in the legal field, average starting salaries are expected to increase 3 percent overall in 2013, according to the Robert Half Legal 2013 Salary Guide.
Associates, paralegals and legal secretaries at mid-size and small- to mid-size law firms can expect the largest increases in base compensation while litigation support specialists also receive salary gains above the average.
"As law firms focus on pursuing new revenue opportunities, the market is strengthening for mid- and senior-level associates with business development skills, extensive client contacts and experience in high-demand practice areas, such as health care, commercial law and litigation," says Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "While salaries have not yet returned to prerecession levels, many hiring managers are offering above-average compensation and bonuses to attract the industry's best candidates and retain their most valuable employees."
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As law firms and corporate legal departments are seeing greater workloads, they are hiring help on a project basis to maintain costs, Volkert says. This also allows them to bring in expertise and additional support that isn't already available on staff.
The average starting salaries for lawyers is projected to rise 3.2 percent in 2013, the study finds. A licensed lawyer with four to nine years of experience at a small- to mid-size law firm is expected to see average base compensation growth at 4.9 percent, ranging between $87,250 and $157,500 annually. For lawyers with the same experience at mid-size law firms, they are projected to experience salary increases at 4.8 percent, totaling between $119,750 and $178,250 per year. First-year associates at small- to mid-size law firms are expected to bring in between $58,250 and $84,750 for a 2.1 percent increase.
According to the study, corporate attorneys should have compensation gains of 3.4 percent while starting salaries for licensed in-house attorneys with 10 to 12 years of experience is believed to increase 3.9 percent, ranging between $134,500 and $235,500 annually.
For law firm paralegals, their starting salaries are estimated to grow 3.3 percent in 2013, and those with four to six years of experience at a mid-size law firm could hit pay gains of 4.4 percent, equaling $53,500 to $66,000 annually, the study finds. Meanwhile, legal secretaries at law firms are projected to earn salary growth of 2.7 percent in 2013, and legal secretaries with seven to 11 years of experience at mid-size law firms are believed to receive the highest starting salaries between $49,250 and $61,750 a year following a 3.5 percent increase.
Starting salaries for legal professionals with litigation support expertise are expected to see an average of 3.5 percent pay growth, the study reveals, while litigation support managers with at least seven years of experience are predicted to earn starting salaries 4.4 percent higher than last year, ranging between $78,500 and $111,250.
The study also finds that compliance managers could see their salary grow between $68,750 and 104,000 annually at a 3.4 percent growth rate, and in-house senior and supervising paralegals with at least seven years of experience could earn between $56,000 and $86,500 for a 3.1 percent increase.
Contract administrators with four or more years of experience are expected to earn a 4.1 percent increase, ranging between $58,750 and $104,500 annually, the study finds, and lease administrators should receive a 3.2 percent boost in salary, totaling between $51,250 and $71,250 each year. For law librarians, compensation growth is estimated to jump 2 percent, equaling between $45,000 and $69,750 per year.
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