What is the 2026 Big Law salary scale?
$235,000 for first-years and $455,000 for eighth-years, before bonus. Milbank set the new scale in a June 2, 2026 memo, effective July 1.
First- through fourth-years went up $10,000. Fifth- through eighth-years went up $20,000.
The Milbank memo covers base only, so I've paired it with Cravath's bonus scale. Add the year-end bonuses from Cravath's November 18, 2025 memo and total cash runs from about $250,000 for a first-year ($235,000 plus the $15,000 prorated first-year bonus) to roughly $570,000 for an eighth-year ($455,000 plus $115,000), before special bonuses.
The bigger raise went to the classes a firm has spent five or more years training. Those are the associates one good lateral call away from leaving.
- First year
- Prior base
- $225,000
- Raise
- $10,000
- New base
- $235,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 4.4%
- Second year
- Prior base
- $235,000
- Raise
- $10,000
- New base
- $245,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 4.3%
- Third year
- Prior base
- $260,000
- Raise
- $10,000
- New base
- $270,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 3.8%
- Fourth year
- Prior base
- $310,000
- Raise
- $10,000
- New base
- $320,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 3.2%
- Fifth year
- Prior base
- $365,000
- Raise
- $20,000
- New base
- $385,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 5.5%
- Sixth year
- Prior base
- $390,000
- Raise
- $20,000
- New base
- $410,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 5.1%
- Seventh year
- Prior base
- $420,000
- Raise
- $20,000
- New base
- $440,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 4.8%
- Eighth year
- Prior base
- $435,000
- Raise
- $20,000
- New base
- $455,000
- Raise as share of prior base
- 4.6%
| Class year | Prior base | Raise | New base | Raise as share of prior base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First year | $225,000 | $10,000 | $235,000 | 4.4% |
| Second year | $235,000 | $10,000 | $245,000 | 4.3% |
| Third year | $260,000 | $10,000 | $270,000 | 3.8% |
| Fourth year | $310,000 | $10,000 | $320,000 | 3.2% |
| Fifth year | $365,000 | $20,000 | $385,000 | 5.5% |
| Sixth year | $390,000 | $20,000 | $410,000 | 5.1% |
| Seventh year | $420,000 | $20,000 | $440,000 | 4.8% |
| Eighth year | $435,000 | $20,000 | $455,000 | 4.6% |
Why did senior associates get the bigger raise?
A firm can hire first-years from its summer program on schedule. It can't hire a sixth-year with deal or trial experience the same way. In the litigation and corporate groups we staff, senior associates are the hardest seats to fill, so firms paid them more.
We expect base increases to slow in 2026, with retention bonuses doing more of the work. In the offers we see, firms lean on bonus more than base to reward performance. Two firms at the same base can finish far apart once bonus pays out. Base alone won't tell you what an offer is worth.
- First year$10,000
- Second year$10,000
- Third year$10,000
- Fourth year$10,000
- Fifth year$20,000
- Sixth year$20,000
- Seventh year$20,000
- Eighth year$20,000
Does the Milbank scale go further in lower-cost markets?
Yes, for now. The same base goes further in a lower-cost city.
More firms are matching the scale in those cities, so the difference is getting smaller. It hasn't gone away. The decision still turns back to the work, the hours and the partnership track.
Is the office you're joining on the full scale?
What should firms do if their scale is below the new numbers?
A firm below the new senior numbers is fine on first-years but at risk with fifth- through eighth-years. We have seen competitors call those associates first after a scale move. They are worth the recruiting cost.
Firms rarely need a full match. Decide which classes to hold at the new numbers. For the rest, a bonus or a clear partnership timeline may do more than base.
The firms that lose people in a year like this usually looked at the number late. The first number I'd ask a firm for: what are your fifth- through eighth-years at now?
How should associates compare offers after the reset?
Get the bonus structure in writing. That means how special and retention bonuses are decided, and the hours expectation behind them. For a senior class, two offers at the same base can end up tens of thousands of dollars apart in total cash a year later.
Then compare the full package against billables and the partnership track. I'd ask two questions. What is the billable requirement, and is the bonus formula in writing?