New Report Details Plaintiffs Law Firm Salaries

First-year associate pay varies by firm size, providing owners a new benchmark for their recruitment strategy.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Employment

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing wooden pillars of varying heights, representing data benchmarks for legal compensation. — The National Plaintiffs' Law Association report indicates that first-year associate salaries at plaintiffs firms averaged $131,313, highlighting significant pay disparities across firm sizes. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should law firms be required to disclose structured pay and bonus policies to prospective employees?

The National Plaintiffs' Law Association released a salary report showing that first-year attorneys at plaintiffs firms earn an average of $131,313. The data highlights significant pay disparities between firm sizes and varying approaches to compensation structures across the industry.

Why it matters

For small firm operators, these figures provide a critical benchmark for competitive hiring and talent retention. Understanding how compensation scales with firm size helps owners evaluate whether their current payroll structure aligns with broader industry standards.

The National Plaintiffs' Law Association survey of 80 attorneys reveals an average first-year salary of $131,313, with average bonuses of $21,195. While 49% of surveyed firms utilize structured lockstep pay, 21.5% operate with no formal raise policy.

The players

National Plaintiffs' Law Association

A professional membership organization representing attorneys who represent plaintiffs in civil litigation.

The details

Compensation in the plaintiffs bar remains tied closely to firm scale, with larger practices offering a premium over smaller operations. Firms are split on their approach to career progression, with 16.7% of surveyed organizations opting for merit-based or discretionary raise models rather than rigid, tenure-based schedules. This diversity in policy suggests that operators often rely on individualized negotiations or performance incentives rather than standardized corporate structures.

The industry survey was conducted between late 2024 and early 2025.

Market Landscape

This data quantifies the persistent compensation gap between boutique firms and larger plaintiffs practices in the United States. It follows a pattern of increasing transparency in legal hiring, where standardized reporting is replacing anecdotal salary benchmarks.

Owners should use these averages to audit their current payroll and ensure their starting salary offers remain competitive for top legal talent. With nearly one-quarter of firms lacking a structured raise policy, operators should consider formalizing their own compensation milestones to prevent attrition.

The takeaway

The compensation gap between large and small firms underscores the need for boutique operators to offer unique incentives that outweigh base salary differences. Owners should track whether their firm's retention rates align with the pay structure and bonus levels reported in the association's findings.