There is a north/south salary divide among law firms in the north-west of England, according to new research.

The survey, carried out by recruitment consultancy Clayton Legal, showed a clear pattern as to earnings in the north-west, ranging from Preston in the north to Chester in the south. Generally speaking, the further south in the region solicitors work, the higher the salary they receive.


However, Merseyside stood out as an anomaly and did not reflect this.


Manchester remained the dominant centre within the region, with salary levels still significantly higher than those in other major cities. At most levels of seniority, Chester and Cheshire fell just behind Manchester and ahead of Liverpool. Firms in the north of the region gave the lowest overall remuneration.


In Manchester, there was a significant difference between city centre firms and those in Greater Manchester, with central firms paying higher salaries. A solicitor in the city with one year’s post-qualification experience (PQE) had an average salary of £27,500; in Greater Manchester, the figure was £22,000. After three years, the average figures were £33,000 and £25,000 respectively.


The gap widens to an average difference of £14,000 for those with seven years’ experience and £15,000 for salaried partners. Equity partners’ income ranged from £80,000 to £250,000 in the city, and £60,000 to £150,000 outside.


This pattern reversed when Liverpool city centre was compared to Greater Merseyside. In Greater Merseyside, a lawyer with one year’s PQE earned £26,000 a year while their city counterpart only received £24,000. After three years, the average difference was £6,500, and for salaried partners, £11,000.


Lynn Sedgwick, operations director of Clayton Law, said that this could be because incentives are needed to attract people to Greater Merseyside, while those in the city accept lower wages for the convenience of not having to commute.


The survey found that the north-west is becoming a stronger player and larger firms want to establish themselves within the area, offering increasingly better salaries and incentives, in addition to quality of life.

Ms Sedgwick added: ‘I have seen cases where conveyancing and criminal practitioners have received greater salaries by moving here than they did in the home counties.’