Solicitor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a solicitor is $107,600 per annum, before tax, up $22,700 since 2018.
- Where a solicitor works matters more than the job title: private practice generally pays above government, in-house and community legal centre roles, and commercial and corporate work sits at the top of private practice.
- Firm size counts too, and the larger firms that pay more usually set billable hour targets that shape both the pay and the hours.
- Partnership is where private practice earnings can change most, because income then depends on the firm's profit rather than a salary.
The median salary rose by $22,700 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than solicitor
The largest typical pay rise is $126,400 a year, moving into Magistrate.
- Magistrate+$126,400/yr
- Barrister+$74,100/yr
- Legislative Drafter+$17,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher solicitor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time solicitor salary is $107,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Solicitors are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Legal research and Drafting and contracts tend to command a premium over general solicitor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Magistrate pays a typical $126,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Solicitor salary questions
How much do solicitors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a solicitor is $107,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is solicitor pay rising or falling?
The median solicitor salary is up $22,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than solicitor?
Magistrate pays a typical $126,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to solicitor.
Related salaries
- Barrister salary
- Intellectual Property Lawyer salary
- Magistrate salary
- Corporate Lawyer salary
- Legislative Drafter salary
- Legal Executive salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.