What a lawyer keeps in Australia after tax, 2026
King & Wood Mallesons, Herbert Smith Freehills, Allens, Ashurst, Clayton Utz and MinterEllison pay far above what regional and suburban practices can manage. Before setting two offers side by side, check the detail that catches out nearly every graduate: does the figure include superannuation, or sit underneath it?
Net pay at each level for Australian lawyers in 2026
Deductions are income tax and the Medicare Levy at 2%. The superannuation guarantee, 12% in 2026, is shown separately below because it is not part of take-home cash pay.
| Level | Gross Salary | Monthly Net | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate | A$85,000 | A$5,584/mo | 21.2% |
| 2-3 PQE | A$150,000 | A$9,180/mo | 26.6% |
| Senior Associate, Big 6 | A$220,000 | A$12,539/mo | 31.6% |
| Partner (illustrative) | A$400,000 | A$20,489/mo | 38.5% |
Bonuses are excluded. Partner figures are illustrative only, since real partner pay comes from profit share and varies enormously. Source: Australian legal salary surveys and Big 6 graduate programme benchmarking, 2026.
Package or base plus super: the wording that costs graduates money
Legal job advertisements here are inconsistent about whether the quoted number is a total remuneration package, meaning base salary with the 12% superannuation guarantee already folded in, or a base salary with super paid separately above it. The difference is anything but trivial:
- An offer of "A$95,000 package" means roughly A$84,800 base salary once the 12% super is backed out - your actual take-home is calculated on the lower number
- An offer of "A$95,000 + super" means A$95,000 base plus an additional ~A$11,400 into your super fund - your take-home is calculated on the full A$95,000
- That's a genuine ~A$10,000/year difference in gross salary between two offers that sound identical on paper
Ask directly which convention an offer follows before setting two firms side by side, and before entering anything into this calculator, which like most others expects a base salary rather than an inclusive package.
Where Australian lawyers sit across the pay range
| Percentile | Gross | Monthly Net |
|---|---|---|
| P25 - graduate / regional | ~A$75,000-A$85,000 | ~A$5,020-A$5,580/mo |
| P50 - mid-level / in-house | ~A$130,000-A$150,000 | ~A$7,850-A$9,180/mo |
| P75 - Big 6 senior associate | ~A$220,000 | ~A$12,540/mo |
| P90 - partner / senior counsel | ~A$400,000+ | ~A$20,490+/mo |
Questions readers ask
A graduate lawyer on A$85,000 keeps about A$5,584 a month. A Big 6 senior associate on A$220,000 keeps roughly A$12,539, and a partner on an illustrative A$400,000 around A$20,489. In most cases superannuation at 12% is paid separately on top of base salary.
On money alone, yes. A Big 6 senior associate on A$220,000 keeps roughly A$7,000 more each month than a suburban firm lawyer on A$130,000. Hours are the price, 55 to 70 a week at the Big 6 against 40 to 45 at smaller firms, alongside a harder route to partnership. A steady stream of lawyers moves into government, in-house or regional work after several years, trading income back for lifestyle.
Australian employers are simply inconsistent about it. A quoted figure may be a total package including the 12% superannuation guarantee, or a base salary with super added above. The same number implies a lower actual base under the package convention than under base-plus-super, so establish which applies before comparing offers.
At A$220,000, keeping roughly A$12,539 a month, Big 6 senior associate pay sits beneath London Magic Circle equivalents and well beneath US BigLaw, against hours generally lighter than either. Graduate salaries land close to British regional firm newly qualified pay once currency is converted.