Hiring in the legal field remains robust, driven by demand for professionals with expertise in litigation, compliance, contract management, data privacy and legal technology. As the need for legal talent grows, however, attracting experienced professionals remains a challenge.

To compete for this talent, employers may need to offer above-market pay to candidates with skill sets that can help navigate evolving regulations, manage risk, and modernize legal operations and services with AI-assisted tools and other technologies. For the most in-demand roles, hiring managers must weigh where they can be flexible—whether on salary, practice area expertise, years of experience or workplace arrangement—and consider enhancing the total compensation package to stay competitive. 

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View salaries by job category

The salaries below default to national averages. Select a job category and city to find figures for a specific market. Starting compensation can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our compensation data in 3 levels: low, mid and high.

Compliance Administration

Contract Management

Corporate (In-House) Counsel

General Administration

Law Firm

Legal Specialist

Legal Support and Records

Paralegal, Legal Assistant and Operations

Job Title

Low

Mid

High

Compliance Director – Legal

111250

144500

168000

Compliance Manager – Legal

93000

109000

136000

Compliance Analyst – Legal

69750

84750

110000

Low

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.

Mid

The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.

High

The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.

2026 Legal Compensation Trends

Year-over-year salary gains

+1.4%

projected average increase across legal roles

+2.7%

for contract management roles as legal teams experience increased volume and complexity of contracts

+2.1%

for compliance administration roles as organizations and law firms adapt to new and evolving regulatory requirements

+1.5%

for attorneys at law firms because of a limited talent pool and strong demand for these professionals

The value of advanced skills

79% of legal leaders typically offer higher salaries to candidates with specialized skills than to those without them in the same role.

Top skills leaders are willing to pay more for:

Legal technology integration and automation

AI governance

Data privacy

Data analytics

Compliance and risk management

Rapidly evolving technology is pushing corporate legal leaders to prioritize different skills in new hires. There’s growing demand for attorneys and paralegals who are not only well-versed in legal principles but also proficient with modern legal software, AI and data analysis.

To attract this talent, many managers are enhancing their full compensation packages to include market-rate salaries and compelling perks that today’s legal professionals want most.

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of legal department leaders say their team will be involved in a major digital transformation initiative over the next 2 years. of legal department leaders say their team will be involved in a major digital transformation initiative over the next 2 years.

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say they have shifted their recruiting focus to candidates with technology skills due to AI initiatives. say they have shifted their recruiting focus to candidates with technology skills due to AI initiatives.

Law firms face compensation pressures

Law firms are seeing rising demand across several practice areas, increasing competition for attorneys, eDiscovery experts and paralegals. Top candidates often receive multiple offers, making recruitment more difficult.

To stand out, many firms are adjusting compensation packages by aligning pay with job requirements such as billable hour expectations and specialized expertise. They’re also adding benefits and perks that professionals prioritize, including those that support work-life balance.

Managing pay expectations

77% of legal leaders express concern about keeping pace with candidates’ pay expectations. Many recognize they must prioritize strategies that address job seekers’ needs and streamline the hiring process.

Increasing starting salaries

Including salary ranges in job descriptions

Adding new benefits and perks

The need for skilled contract talent

When budgets don’t allow hiring for new permanent roles, many organizations engage contract professionals to help close skills gaps and manage heavy workloads, and to serve as a trial period for potential future hires.

Bringing in contract talent can also help managers better allocate resources because they’re paying for specialized expertise only when it’s needed for specific projects.

Top practice areas, industries, emerging roles

Candidates with expertise in practice areas like those listed below can often command higher starting salaries, notably in sectors experiencing active hiring and strong demand for specialized skills.

Ethics and corporate governance

Labor and employment law

Litigation

Privacy, data security and information law

Many companies in the following industries are willing to pay more for the right combination of skills and experience. Likewise, these industries are providing greater opportunities for career advancement and salary growth.

Professional services

Government

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Below are a few legal positions gaining traction in 2026. As these and other new roles evolve and grow in demand, setting competitive salaries can be challenging—prompting 38% of leaders to turn to recruiters for guidance.

AI ethics and governance counsel: Advises on the ethical and legal implications of AI deployment, ensuring compliance with emerging regulations

Legal data analyst: Analyzes legal data to uncover insights, support decision making and improve outcomes in litigation, compliance and operations

Legal technologist: Bridges the gap between law and technology by developing, implementing and managing digital tools and systems that enhance legal service delivery, efficiency and compliance

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The salary benchmarks listed in the Salary Guide From Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process so that our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Learn more about our methodology.

Non-salary data referenced in the Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Respondents include hiring managers and workers from small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-plus employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the United States.