BigLaw Salary by Firm and Cost of Living
What first-years earn at each firm, what that salary is worth where you’d live, and how two offers compare once bonus, tax and rent are in.
169 of 207 firms pay exactly $225,000.
First-year base across 207 firms
| First-year base | Firms |
|---|---|
| $260,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $255,000+ | 4 Firms |
| $240,000+ | 3 Firms |
| $235,000+ | 9 Firms |
| $230,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $225,000+ | |
| $220,000+ | 2 Firms |
| $215,000+ | 7 Firms |
| $210,000+ | 2 Firms |
| $205,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $200,000+ | 3 Firms |
| $190,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $180,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $170,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $166,000+ | 1 Firm |
| $105,000+ | 1 Firm |
From each firm’s own announcement or the market scale it follows, as labelled on its profile. Firms that don’t publish a figure are left out. The first-year pay tracker checks the Am Law 100 firm by firm, with sources. The law firm recruiting statistics page puts that pay in context with when programs open, and the 2027 summer associate deadlines page lists when each firm’s summer program applications open and close.
Offer 1
Offer 2
Year-end bonus payout
Stress-test the comparison: what changes if the bonus pays below market, at market, or above market? Slider applies to every offer simultaneously.
100%
Decision read
Offer 1 has the highest headline package.
Offer 1 leads on both cost-adjusted value and post-tax hourly value. That is the cleanest financial winner before you layer in practice fit, people, and geography.
Side-by-side
| Metric | Offer 1 | Offer 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Market | New York | New York |
| Expected hours/week | 55 hrs | 55 hrs |
| Total cash (base + signing + bonus + clerkship) | $266,000 | $266,000 |
| Cost-adjusted buying power | $142,246 | $142,246 |
| Post-tax take-home (approx.) | $167,109 | $167,109 |
| Post-tax effective hourly | $58/hr | $58/hr |
| State + city tax rate | 10.7% | 10.7% |
Firms open summer 2028 applications on their own schedules, and new ones open every week.
Cost-of-living indices and tax estimates are cited on the methodology page. Estimates, not tax advice.