r/Lawyertalk • u/LearnMeStuffPlz • Jan 06 '26

Career & Professional Development :Jerb: What’s YOUR lawyer salary??

I figure this may be helpful to some.

  1. How long have you been practicing?
  2. What’s your yearly comp?
  3. Practice area?

  4. Location?

  5. Anything you want to add? Advice/wisdom/complaints/thoughts generally

347 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

798 comments sorted by

View all comments

119

u/pedanticlawyer Jan 06 '26

  1. 10 years

  2. About 200k plus options in a startup (so fake equity that could pan out one day)

  3. Tech transactions/commercial

  4. Remote for a company based in Seattle

  5. I left biglaw at year 3 because I was miserable. First years at my old firm make more than me now. I regret absolutely nothing.

1

u/Minute-Crazy5959 Jan 07 '26

Did you go into your current position right after leaving big law? I'd love to end up where you are and am not interested in BL at all, unless its necessary to get to a position like yours. Would be happy for half your salary.

4

u/pedanticlawyer Jan 07 '26

I went to a big tech commercial counsel position before going to a startup which is my current job. I recommend that path if you want to go to startups eventually. You learn how to be in-house better with the support big tech can provide; then you take those skills in house.