2025 Canada Legal Salaries and Hiring Trends

Workloads are rising steadily for law firms and legal departments across Canada, especially in major markets. But as many legal employers take more time to evaluate candidates to confirm they have the appropriate skills, that increases stress for already overtaxed workers who need the relief additional support can bring.

Increasing salary levels and offering flexible work options are strategies many employers use to help attract and retain top talent. But in a competitive hiring market, moving quickly is the key, especially if employers want to secure in-demand professionals like law clerks and legal assistants with relevant certifications and industry-specific experience.

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Enter your city to localize national average salaries. Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, the company’s size and industry, and demand for the role.

Law Firm

Corporate (In-House)

Law Firm Administration

Legal Support

Contract Management

Legal Specialist

Litigation Support/eDiscovery

General Administrative

Position Title

25th Percentile

50th Percentile

75th Percentile

Lawyer, 10+ Years' Experience

198500

230000

278250

Lawyer, 4-9 Years' Experience

121250

178250

227500

Lawyer, 2-3 Years' Experience

91250

126500

158500

First-Year Lawyer

80000

95750

120250

25th Percentile

The candidate is new to the role and building the needed skills, experience and autonomy.

50th Percentile

The candidate has the experience to perform core responsibilities without direct supervision and is comfortable with the role’s processes and subject matter.

75th Percentile

The candidate delivers value beyond the stated job duties, has advanced qualifications and experience, and is ready for the next career level.

Legal Hiring Trends in Canada

The challenging market has employers concerned about retention (86%), finding qualified candidates (80%), skills gaps (79%) and hiring fast enough to land top talent (77%).

Hiring managers are assessing potential hires for the soft skills needed to support tenured staff, and to gauge whether they’re likely to stay with the firm for the long term.

In corporate legal departments and law firms, 97% of managers report high confidence that compensation will rise in 2025.

Leadership/
management
experience Compliance and
risk management AI and
automation Research and
information
analysis Data analytics Leadership/
management
experience Compliance and
risk management AI and
automation Research and
information
analysis Data analytics

Wide acceptance of the hybrid work model

Nearly 4 in 10 legal employers offer hybrid work options, while 45% provide flexible schedules to attract and hire skilled candidates.

50% of legal professionals want to pursue a role that allows them to work off-site at least part of the time, while 45% would prefer a fully remote position.

Lack of
succession
candidates Retirement of key
employees Insufficient
upskilling programs Candidates
uninterested
in leadership No succession
plan in place Lack of
succession
candidates Retirement of key
employees Insufficient
upskilling programs Candidates
uninterested
in leadership No succession
plan in place

Legal Hiring at a Glance

Legal jobs

Corporate (in-house) counsel (all experience levels)

Law clerk

Lawyer (all experience levels)

Legal assistant

Skills and certifications

Accredited legal professional (ALP)

Certified compliance and ethics professional (CCEP)

Certified eDiscovery specialist (CEDS)

Certified legal manager (CLM)

Ethics and corporate governance

General business/corporate law

Intellectual property

Labour and employment

Privacy, data security and information law

Industries hiring most

Finance/insurance/real estate

Health care

Professional services

Technology

Transportation/public utilities

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How do we determine our salary figures and benchmarks? See our methodology.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

Non-salary data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents included hiring managers and employees from small (1-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-10,000 or more employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.