Understanding Your Market Value in the Australian Legal Market

Misha Mckenzie

May 27, 2026

It’s salary review season, which means many lawyers are starting to ask the same question: What should I actually be earning?

At Sonder Consultants, we recently published our salary guide to help lawyers navigate these conversations and better understand where the market currently sits across different practice areas and PQE levels.

But it is important to remember that salary guides are exactly that - guides.

They are useful as a broad indication of market positioning, but they can never fully account for the differences that exist between lawyers at the same level of qualification. Two associates with the same PQE can have completely different market value depending on the type of work they are doing, the responsibility they hold, and the demand for their skill set.

There are always outliers in both directions.

Some lawyers are paid above market because they are genuinely exceptional operators. Some are billing significantly beyond expectation. Others have developed rare technical expertise, specialist sector knowledge, or are already performing at a level beyond their class year. In some cases, firms also simply pay differently to the broader market.

Equally, there are lawyers sitting below market who may not realise it.

The reality is that your value in the legal market is not as simple as matching your PQE against a number on a salary guide.

More often, it comes down to a combination of factors, including:

Technical ability
Quality of experience
Commerciality
Client exposure
Level of autonomy
Demand within your practice area
The specific law firm market at that point in time

It is also important to remember that salary is only one part of the equation during review season.

Progression opportunities, quality of work, partner access, flexibility, team culture, and long-term career trajectory all matter as well. A higher salary on paper does not always translate into a better long-term move if the platform, development opportunities, or day-to-day experience are not aligned with what you want from your career.

The most productive salary conversations are usually the ones grounded in context rather than comparison. Understanding where you sit in the market requires a broader assessment of your experience, your current platform, and the demand for your practice area at that particular moment in time.

For some lawyers, the answer is that they are underpaid. For others, the reality is that their package is already highly competitive relative to the market.

If you would like an honest conversation about where you currently sit within the Australian legal market, the team at Sonder Consultants is always happy to help.

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