To think this salary is an insult?

[FlyingSolo16]

I’m a solicitor and recently interviewed for a position. Five rounds of interview, meetings with different people within the firm, etc etc.

Get to the offer stage and the “competitive salary” they’re offering was £27,500 a year. AIBU or is that an insult?

Yes the salary is terrible.

But - I saw some info about Rachel Reeves looking to tax partnerships differently and solicitors who were partners were quoted as earning on average 300k. It was much higher than vets/dentists etc. I wonder if the career path is a bit like medicine where junior doctors tolerate a poor hourly rate (when you take into account their full time week is 48 hours) but earn very well later as Surgeons or Consultants. Perhaps people tolerate the poor pay in order to progress to the big bucks? Much easier for people who can be subsidised by a wealthy family of course.

Partners in London will earn a lot, but outside of London it’s not the same.

Are you in NI by any chance OP? The lowest I've heard of NQs getting offered this year is 26 but 30-33k is more usual.

A friend of mine is a recruiter and has a huge influx this year of people looking placed because their training firms are taking the piss with salary offers. When the NQs leave their firms the firm is struggling to hire and can't understand why... We started our NQ on 32k.

And a junior doctors standard week is 48 hours I believe when lots of advertised jobs are 37 hours. I accept a solicitor might work long hours though. Don't know if a solicitor can claim overtime?

That’s ridiculous but the 5 rounds of interviews would have made me bail out sooner anyway.

You’re recruiting lecturers?!!!! You must be about the only place that is!

Exactly. I know someone who’d love to know where that is.

I was made redundant last month. I have 30 years experience post degree in academic science and journal publishing.

I have applied for jobs with require all that expertise yet offer minimum wage. I've been rejected many times.

I am very worried about my future.

In fact I'm going to post this and then hide the thread. My self worth is at the bottom of the sea and I don't think this thread will help.

The empathetic "yes, it's really tough out there" isn't encouraging.

I wish you all the best OP.

JFC! And are you going to be working 11 hour days and timestamping your activity every 6 minutes?

That salary is not at market value and I think working there would actually blight your reputation.

I learned long ago never to go beyond a screening phone call without determining what the salary was.

According to the Law Society a newly qualified Solicitor should earn £27,418 in London and £24,320 elsewhere.

In 2018, the average salary (median gross) for solicitors working full-time in private practice was £62,000 each year.

I can't find any more recent figures.

Apply for Civil Service/CPS. Much better starting salary and good benefits.

I think that’s the trainee rate (horrendously low)

Yabu to go that far through a process without asking about the wage. If they won’t tell me the range I don’t apply.

Not NI, but it seems to be an issue outside of London and perhaps Manchester. Just such a shame.

It is very low but I think if you could afford to, I would have taken it to get some experience under your belt and then look for better in a few years time.

You don't say how long you've been doing it/how long it is since you qualified @FlyingSolo16 If you're just starting out, and it's outside London, £27,500 a year sounds about right.

Really? Ask the victims of the Post Office Scandal.
It doesn't alter the fact that people who choose either of these professions have to undergo extensive training and examination to become qualified to undertake the role.

Private client outside London is inevitably going to be tiny margins with a lot of work done by paralegals. (Whereas in London and in niche firms outside London it will be high net worth families & individuals with trusts & estate planning, tax advice, high value divorce etc.)

I would look at changing to a different area of law if you want financial security.

Bloody hell! I'm a private client secretary outside London - but inside M25 - and I'm on more than that.

I wouldnt even go for a first interview now unless I knew the salary range. It's not worth the time and effort

I wonder if you applied to the firm I am just about to leave that starts with K. Shockingly low salaries that people can’t live on. I am paid more than this due to experience but NMW is standard for a very responsible role that can cost the firm a lot of money if something goes wrong. What is your specialism? The firm I am joining have been highly professional and it took 1 week from contact to offer. I’ve applied internally too and it took 7 weeks for a reply turning me down. Good luck!

Jesus - yes it's an insult, and a massive red flag. In your case I'd be wondering if they're sexist and think they can get a woman on the cheap.

Even a lot of people in customer service or customer success positions get more than that.

Generally if the salary is stated as competitive on the job description then it’s going to be very low!

It is ridiculously low, but the fact that that's their standard rate suggests their current staff do manage to survive on it. That doesn't mean it's right, but might highlight how bad the job market is in that area.

Honestly, I probably would have taken it for a year just to get some experience and then moved on to something better. Your first job post qualifying is always the hardest to get. My first 'proper' job out of uni was pretty much minimum wage but it allowed me to get my next job (only ringfenced candidates could apply), and so on...