How to Become a Solicitor (UK): Salary, Skills & Career Guide

Becoming a solicitor in the UK is one of the most rewarding professional careers - intellectually demanding, well-paid, and with clear specialisms from corporate to criminal to family law. Newly qualified solicitors at top firms now earn £100,000-£175,000, and partners at the top of the profession earn well into the hundreds of thousands.

In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to become a solicitor in the UK under the new SQE route, what you can realistically earn at each stage, and whether the work and the hours actually suit you.

Quick facts

Starting salary: £28,000 - £50,000 (trainee / NQ)
Mid-career salary: £60,000 - £100,000
Senior salary: £120,000 - £300,000+ (partner, top firms)
Work environment: Office, demanding hours at top firms
Time to entry: 5 - 7 years (incl. SQE)
Degree required: Yes (law or conversion + SQE)
Category: Business, Finance and Legal

Compare pay across careers in the UK salaries by career report. Also in: High-paying careers, Career change.

What a Solicitor does

Advise clients on the law and represent them in legal matters.

Corporate Solicitor - Advise companies on deals, contracts, and governance.
Family Solicitor - Handle divorce, custody, and family disputes.
Criminal Solicitor - Represent people charged with criminal offences.

How to become a solicitor in the UK

Since 2021, the route to qualification is the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) - a two-part assessment plus two years of qualifying work experience (QWE). You'll need a degree (any subject) or equivalent qualification, then SQE1 and SQE2 prep, and QWE that can be gained at law firms, in-house teams, charities or law clinics. Total time from school to qualification is typically 5-7 years.

Get a degree in any subject, or look for a Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship, which lets you qualify without a degree while working at a firm.
If you didn't study law, consider a law conversion course such as the PGDL or an SQE1 preparation course to build the legal knowledge SQE1 tests.
Build two years of qualifying work experience (QWE) with up to four organisations, through a training contract, paralegal work or a law clinic.
Pass SQE1, which tests functioning legal knowledge, and SQE2, which tests practical legal skills such as advocacy, client interviewing and drafting.
Have a solicitor confirm your QWE, then pass the SRA's character and suitability assessment before applying for admission as a solicitor.
Apply early for vacation schemes and training contracts in your chosen area of law, as many large firms recruit up to two years in advance.

Ways to become a solicitor
Route	How long	Cost	Best for
Law degree, then SQE and QWE	5-6 years	Tuition fee loan, plus SQE costs	School leavers sure about law
Non-law degree, conversion, then SQE	5-7 years	Tuition fees plus course costs, varies by provider	Graduates in other subjects
Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship	About 6 years	Paid by the employer	School leavers wanting to avoid student debt
Paralegal work alongside SQE study	Varies	SQE costs, sometimes employer-funded	People already working in law

How most people actually get started

The traditional route is law degree → SQE prep → training contract at a firm → qualified solicitor. But the SQE has opened up other paths: a non-law degree plus a conversion (PGDL), a solicitor apprenticeship straight from school (6 years, paid throughout), or working as a paralegal while completing SQE part-time.

How long it takes

Realistically, qualification takes 5 to 7 years from school: a degree (3 years) or a solicitor apprenticeship (around 6 years), SQE1 and SQE2, and two years of qualifying work experience, which can overlap with study. The SQE route applies in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own routes to qualification.

Solicitor salary in the UK

Solicitor pay varies enormously by firm, sector and city. Trainees at high street firms earn £25,000-£35,000, regional firm trainees £30,000-£45,000, and trainees at Magic Circle / US firms in London earn £50,000-£60,000. On qualification, NQ pay ranges from £45,000 (high street) to £100,000-£175,000 (US firms in London). Partners at top firms regularly earn £300,000-£1m+.

Is solicitor a good career?

Solicitor is a strong career in the UK for the right person. Earnings at the top end are excellent, the work is intellectually demanding, and the qualification opens doors into in-house roles, government and consultancy. The trade-offs: 5-7 years to qualify, intense competition for training contracts, and a workload that can swallow your evenings and weekends for years on end.

Key skills

Analytical thinking
Writing
Attention to detail
Resilience

Will lawyers and solicitors be replaced by AI?

High exposure. Legal drafting and research are among the tasks language models do best, so the job is changing fast. Solicitors are not being replaced, because advice, negotiation and regulated responsibility still need a person, but trainee-level document work is shrinking.

The DfE study placed solicitors 12th of all occupations for general AI exposure, and second for exposure to large language models specifically.

What AI already does in this job

First drafts of contracts, letters and standard documents
Legal research and summarising case law
Document review and disclosure in litigation
Due diligence on large volumes of contracts

What stays with a person

Regulated advice that the solicitor is accountable for
Negotiation, and reading the other side
Client relationships, especially in stressful matters like family or crime
Advocacy and court work

Lean into the parts AI cannot carry: client work, negotiation and advocacy. Firms increasingly expect lawyers to supervise AI-drafted work, so learning the tools is now part of the job rather than a threat to it.

Careers that reuse your skills with less AI exposure

Barrister - advocacy and courtroom judgement are hard to automate
Workplace Mediator - uses legal reasoning in a people-first role
Insolvency Practitioner - statutory role mixing law, finance and negotiation

More on AI and work: check another job, jobs AI will replace, AI-proof jobs.

Our rating judges how much of the role's everyday work current AI tools can already do or draft; it measures exposure, not job losses. Occupation findings are from the Department for Education, The impact of AI on UK jobs and training (November 2023).

How to retrain as a solicitor

Since the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) replaced the old route, you can qualify with a degree in any subject: pass SQE1 and SQE2, complete two years of qualifying work experience, and pass character and suitability checks. A solicitor apprenticeship is an alternative without a degree.

Routes for adults

SQE route - Any degree (or equivalent), SQE1 and SQE2, plus two years' qualifying work experience, which can come from several employers including paralegal roles.
Solicitor apprenticeship - Around six years, paid, with no degree needed.

Paying for it

SQE exams and preparation courses are expensive and usually self-funded unless an employer sponsors you. Check the SRA for current exam fees, and budget for prep courses on top.

Retraining at 40 or 50

The SQE has made law more open to career changers, because work experience as a paralegal can count. Expect it to take several years.

Can I afford to retrain? · Advanced Learner Loans · Free Skills Bootcamps

Solicitor FAQs

How do I become a solicitor in the UK in 2025?

The current route is the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), introduced in 2021. You need a degree (any subject) or equivalent, then SQE1 and SQE2 assessments plus two years of qualifying work experience (QWE). The full route from school is typically 5-7 years. The solicitor apprenticeship is an alternative route - 6 years, paid throughout, no university debt.

How much does a solicitor earn in the UK?

Trainee pay ranges from £25,000 (high street) to £60,000 (Magic Circle / US firms in London). On qualification, newly qualified solicitor (NQ) pay ranges from £45,000 to £175,000 depending on firm and city. Partners at top firms regularly earn £300,000 to over £1m.

Do I need a law degree to become a solicitor?

No. Under the SQE route, any degree (or equivalent qualification) is accepted - you don't need to have studied law at undergraduate level. Non-law graduates often take a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) before SQE prep. The solicitor apprenticeship route doesn't require a degree at all.

How long does it take to become a solicitor?

From school, qualification typically takes 5-7 years: a degree (3 years), SQE1 and SQE2 prep (6-12 months each, often part-time), and two years of qualifying work experience. The solicitor apprenticeship takes 6 years from A-levels and is paid throughout.

Is being a solicitor a good career?

Solicitor is a strong career if you enjoy careful analytical work, you're prepared for several years of intense study and competitive entry, and you can handle long hours - especially in corporate or City firms. Earnings at the top are excellent, the qualification is highly portable. Career Compass, our one-off career direction assessment, shows how closely it matches your interests and priorities.

Can I become a solicitor at 30, 40 or older?

Yes - many solicitors qualify in their 30s and 40s, often via a part-time SQE prep route alongside paralegal work. Mature trainees are increasingly common, especially in regional firms and in-house legal teams. The SQE has made it easier to qualify while working.

Is Solicitor right for you?

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Still deciding whether solicitor is the career for you? Here is which career test is actually worth taking, and what a free quiz will not tell you.