Summary: Here are the 1st year salaries and bonuses of the top law firms in the United States.
Interested in the salary information at these firms for other years of experience? Check out the charts below:
2015 2nd Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 3rd Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 4th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 5th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 6th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 7th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 8th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
2015 Summer Associate Salaries of the Top Law Firms
| Firm Name | Associate Salaries | Base Salary | Associate Bonuses |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | $115,000-$160,000 | NA | |
| Allen & Overy LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Alston & Bird LLP | $130,000-$145,000 | Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Research Triangle, NC: $135,000 Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Silicon Valley, CA; Washington, DC: $160,000 |
|
| Arnold & Porter LLP | $110,000-$160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | $10,000-$40,000 |
| Baker & McKenzie | $110,000-$160,000 | Chicago, IL; New York, NY; San Francisco/Palo Alto, CA; Texas offices; Washington, DC: $160,000 Miami, FL: $130,000 (plus $5,000 signing bonus) |
|
| Baker Botts L.L.P. | $110,000-$160,000 | New York, NY; Palo Alto, CA; Washington, DC; Texas offices: $160,000 | |
| Baker Hostetler LLP | $95,000-$125,000 | Cleveland, OH: $130,000 Varies per office ($110,000 - $160,000) |
|
| Bingham McCutchen LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | Firmwide: $160,000 | $10,000-$40,000 |
| Bryan Cave LLP | $120,000-$145,000 | Atlanta, GA: $130,000 Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles, CA New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC: $145,000 Denver, CO; Kansas City, MO: $115,000 Phoenix, AZ: $120,000 St. Louis, MO: $125,000 |
|
| Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP | $160,000 | New York, Washington, DC and North Carolina offices: $160,000 | |
| Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Chadbourne & Parke LLP | $160,000 | Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 | |
| Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Clifford Chance LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Cooley Godward Kronish LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Covington & Burling | $145,000-$160,000 | U.S. offices: $160,000 | |
| Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Crowell & Moring LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell | $160,000 | All US offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton LLP | $160,000 | US offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Dechert LLP | $135,000-$160,000 | Austin, TX; Boston, MA; California offices; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Hartford, CT; New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 Philadelphia, PA and Princeton, NJ: $145,000 |
|
| Dickstein Shapiro LLP | $145,000 | DC, NY, CA Offices: $160,000 | |
| DLA Piper | $105,000-$160,000 | Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; California offices; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Raleigh, NC; Reston, VA Seattle, WA; Texas offices; Washington, DC: $160,000 Atlanta, GA; Phoenix, AZ; Tampa, FL: $145,000 |
|
| Dorsey & Whitney LLP | $55,000-$135,000 | Minneapolis, MN: $110,000 Other locations: Varies by location |
|
| Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP | Boston, Chicago and New York: $145,000 Providence: $125,000 |
||
| Fenwick & West LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Fish & Richardson P.C. | $135,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI: $130,000 Boston, MA; California offices; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 |
|
| Foley & Lardner LLP | $80,000-$145,000 | Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI: $130,000 Boston, MA; California offices; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 Miami, FL: $145,000 Madison, WI; Tampa, FL: $125,000 Jacksonville, FL; Orlando, FL; Tallahassee, FL: $110,000 |
|
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | $160,000 | New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 | |
| Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY and Washington, DC: $160,000 | |
| Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. | $90,000-$160,000 | NA | |
| Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Goodwin Procter LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Greenberg Traurig, LLP | $91,000-$160,000 | Greenberg Traurig is in more than 30 markets and pays market rates in each. | |
| Hogan Lovells | $160,000 | Baltimore; California offices; Denver; Houston; McLean, VA; New York; Philadelphia; Washington DC: $160,000 | |
| Holland & Knight LLP | $105,000-$160,000 | Atlanta, GA: $130,000 Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Tyson’s Corner, VA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC: $145,000 Jacksonville, FL; Orlando, FL: $105,000 South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach): $135,000 Tampa, FL: $115,000 |
|
| Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Hunton & Williams LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Miami, FL; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh, NC; Richmond, VA: $145,000 Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; McLean, VA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC: $160,000 |
|
| Irell & Manella LLP | $160,000 | Los Angeles, CA: $160,000 | $17,500 |
| Jackson Lewis LLP | $77,000-$85,000 | Firm did not disclose salary information. | |
| Jenner & Block LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Jones Day | $120,000-$160,000 | Miami, FL: $135,000 Atlanta, GA: $150,000 Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Pittsburgh, PA: $145,000 Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, CA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas and Houston, TX; New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 |
|
| K&L Gates | $102,000-$160,000 | Starting salaries fall between $90,000 and $160,000 based on dynamics of the local market. | |
| Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP | All offices: $160,000 | ||
| Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY & Washington, DC: $160,000 | |
| Kaye Scholer LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP | All offices: $135,000/$160,000 | ||
| King & Spalding LLP | $125,000-$140,000 | Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC: $135,000 Austin, TX; Houston, TX; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Washington, DC: $160,000 |
|
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | $160,000 | All US offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP | $140,000 | All offices: $150,000 | |
| Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Latham & Watkins LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000-$25,000 |
| Linklaters LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Manatt Phelps & Phillips | $125,000 | Manatt has a merit based compensation model, through which associates who meet or exceed expectations in terms of their competency level and their overall contributions to the Firm will receive competitive levels of total compensation. Manatt has placed an increased emphasis on training and development and, to demonstrate their commitment, they have created a unique program where associates receive an “Investment Account” to which associates may record time spent on specified development activities for which they will receive billable-hour credit up to specified caps of up to 550 hours. | |
| Mayer Brown LLP | $110,000-$160,000 | Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Palo Alto, CA; Washington, DC; Houston, TX: $160,000 | |
| McDermott, Will & Emery | $105,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| McGuireWoods LLP | $100,000-$165,000 | Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, DC; Wilmington, DE: $155,000 Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; Richmond, VA: $140,000 Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC: $135,000 Charlottesville, VA: $125,000 Norfolk, VA; Wimington, NC: $120,000 Jacksonville, FL: $110,000 |
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| Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP | $160,000 | New York: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | $105,000-$160,000 | Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA: $145,000 Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Palo Alto, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC: $160,000 Miami, FL: $145,000 Princeton, NJ: $150,000 |
|
| Morrison & Foerster LLP | $105,000-$160,000 | All U.S. offices and U.S. practice attorneys in international offices (classes of 2012 and 2013): $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Nixon Peabody LLP | $95,000-$160,000 | All offices: $145,000 | |
| O'Melveny & Myers LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | Los Angeles; New York; Orange County; San Francisco; Silicon Valley; Washington, DC Associate level 1: $160,000 Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, CA; Seattle, Washington Associate level 1: $145,000 |
$9,000-$12,500 |
| Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Patton Boggs LLP | $130,000-$160,000 | Firm did not provide salary information. | |
| Paul Hastings LLP | $160,000 | All domestic offices except Atlanta: $160,000 | |
| Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | $160,000 | New York, NY; Washington, DC: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Perkins Coie LLP | $80,000-$145,000 | Salaries vary among offices based on location. | |
| Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | Firmwide: $160,000 | |
| Proskauer Rose LLP | $97,500-$160,000 | New York, NY; Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Washington, DC: $160,000 Boca Raton, FL: $135,000 Newark, NJ: $145,000 New Orleans, LA: $110,000 |
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| Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $7,500-$15,000 |
| Ropes & Gray LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | |
| Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Shearman & Sterling LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Sidley Austin LLP | $145,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | $160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | $160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| SNR Denton (Now Dentons) | $145,000-$160,000 | NA | |
| Squire Sanders | $120,000 | Firm did not provide salary information. | |
| Steptoe & Johnson LLP | $125,000-$145,000 | Washington, DC: $160,000 | |
| Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP | $105,000-$160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| Sullivan & Cromwell LLP | $160,000 | All US offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Venable LLP | $145,000 | All offices: $150,000 | |
| Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. | $160,000 | All U.S. offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Wachtell | $165,000 | New York, NY: $165,000 | |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | $160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| White & Case LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | $10,000 |
| Williams & Connolly LLP | $140,000 | Washington, DC: $180,000 | |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | $160,000 | New York, NY: $160,000 | |
| WilmerHale | All offices: $160,000 | ||
| Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | $145,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 | |
| Winston & Strawn LLP | $125,000-$160,000 | All offices: $160,000 |
Please see the following articles for more information about life as an associate:
- What's Next after Finishing Law School
- The Real World: Life after Law School
- The Five Stages of Every Legal Career
- The Choices of Practice in Law
- Choosing a Law Specialty: Who Are You and What Do You Want
- The 10-Step, ''No-Fail'' Guide to Distinguishing Yourself as a First-Year Associate
- 5 Tips for First Year Law Firm Associates
- The Art of Drafting a Proper Legal Memo
- Top 39 Tips for New Litigation Associates and Trial Lawyers: How to Be a Good Litigation Attorney
- The Real Reason There Are Fewer Law Firm Jobs (What No Attorney Wants You to Know)
- Avoid the Dangers of Getting Jobs Through Friends and Family
- Should You Marry a Lawyer? A Couple's Guide to Balancing Work, Love and Amibition
- The Three Major Legal Fraternities
- 2015 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in Best Law Firms
- 2015 8th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
- Getting along with colleagues and co-workers in a new firm
- LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in Best Law Firms
- The Pros and Cons of Working in a Law Firm
- The Impact Law Firm Economics Can Have on Your Legal Career
- How to Avoid a Bad Reputation at Work
- Must You be a ''Type-A'' Personality to Succeed in a Law Firm?
Please see the following articles for more information about attorney salaries:
- 2016 Law Firm Salary Chart - Firms Announcing Raises
- 2013 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in Best Law Firms
- How to Negotiate Your Way to a Better Salary
- What Do In-House Attorney Positions Pay?
- Which Legal Jobs Will Pay the Most?
Please see the following articles for more information about law firm jobs:
- What Law Firms Look for In a Lateral Resume
- Law Firms and Part-Time Attorneys-They Really Can Go Hand in Hand
- Overhead Ratios of a Law Firm
- 2014 AmLaw 200 Law Firm Revenue, Firm Size, and Breakdown
- Top Ten Reasons Why Older Attorneys Have a More Difficult Time Getting Law Firm Jobs
- Staying Put In Your Current Legal Firm and Learning Is the Best Option In Recession.
- Acing Law School Exams: Grade-A Advice
- What's Next after Finishing Law School
- First Year of Law School Survival Tips
- Does Law School Rank Determine Success?
- The Three Major Legal Fraternities and Why You May Want to Join One
- Late Bloomers: Going to Law School Later in Life
- Coping with Law School Dismissal
- Graduated From a Tier 3 Law School: There’s much you can do with your degree
- The Real World: Life after Law School
- Why You Should Think Twice About Remaining in Law (or Going to Law School)
- Should You Marry a Lawyer? A Couple's Guide to Balancing Work, Love and Amibition
- After Law School, B-School: The Rise of M.B.A.'s Among Attorneys
- Law Schools at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Non-ABA-Accredited Schools May Offer Good Alternative
- Top Law Schools Analyzed and Ranked By America’s Top Legal Recruiter Harrison Barnes
- The Five Stages of Every Legal Career
- "Guidelines on Reciprocity or "Admission on Motion" among the States as per American Bar Association"
- Pass the Bar in One State, Work in Another
- Taking the Bar in Multiple States
- 10 Ways to Bounce Back After Failing the Bar and Pass on Your Next Attempt
- Don't Panic! Ten Tips for Surviving the Bar Exam
- New York's Exam: The Biggest Baddest Bar
- If You Have Failed the Bar Exam It Is Not the End of the World
- Barriers Fall for Out-of-State Attorneys
- The 10-Step, ''No-Fail'' Guide to Distinguishing Yourself as a First-Year Associate
- The Art of Drafting a Proper Legal Memo
- 5 Tips for First Year Law Firm Associates
- Top 39 Tips for New Litigation Associates and Trial Lawyers: How to Be a Good Litigation Attorney
