In-house lawyers in the north-east have seen a drop in salaries over the past year, research has shown.

A survey of 100 in-house lawyers by legal recruiters BCL Legal found that senior lawyers in Yorkshire and the north-east have seen salaries drop an average of £10,000 to £135,000 a year, although salaries have climbed to £240,000 in a few cases.

Average annual bonuses rose from £10,000 to £10,500 in 2009-2010, but average pay for newly qualified lawyers fell £5,000 to £35,000.

Just 65% of in-house lawyers received bonuses according to the research, down 6% from the previous year. Bonuses ranged from £5,000 for lawyers with up to five years’ experience, to £16,000 for those with 11 or more years’ experience.

The survey also revealed a 7% drop in lawyers receiving pension contributions from their employers, and a 5% reduction in those getting private medical insurance. Benefits such as car allowances and holidays remained unchanged.

BCL Legal director and head of in-house Mark Levine said: ‘The last year has been tough so it’s not surprising that there have been fluctuations in salaries and bonuses. However, good people are still being rewarded as employers know that a strong recovery will be best achieved if they retain and look after talented staff.’