What a lawyer earns in Spain: from 18,000 to 152,000 euros according to the Signium-UFV report

Lawyers at Spain's law firms earned average salaries in 2025 ranging from the 18,276 euros a year of a trainee to the 152,183 euros of a director, according to the XXI Comparative Analysis of remuneration in law firms in Spain, produced by the consultancy Signium together with Universidad Francisco de Vitoria and reported by Europa Press.

The report speaks of "a new generalised increase in total remuneration across all the firm types analysed" in 2025, an upward trend already present in previous years. The increases, however, concentrate in the most experienced categories and in international firms.

Average salaries by category

The study's authors highlight that "growth is especially marked in the highest-seniority categories, in particular Senior Associate and Director, where the weight of the variable component continues to gain relevance within the total remuneration package". The smallest increases are for trainees, juniors and associates.

Which type of firm pays most

The report differentiates the trend by firm type: increases concentrate in international firms, followed by national firms and, to a lesser extent, the Big Four, while Spanish legal boutiques show a "more moderate" evolution. The growing focus, the authors note, is on retaining senior talent.

"The sector's good performance continues in 2025, although the increases are more moderate than in previous years. The legal sector in Spain remains in good health with a more than positive salary evolution," says Carlos Alberola, partner at Signium, in the release distributed by Europa Press.

The trend: the increases are moving up

The detail of the variations shows a change of pattern versus 2024. The largest 2025 increase went to senior associates, at 6.75%, which had started from just 2.70% the year before. At the other end, trainees saw their improvement moderate from 5.92% in 2024 to 4.65% in 2025, and directors went from 0.67% to 3.12%. The market's message is clear: firms pay to retain those who already have a client book and experience, not to bring in base-level staff.

The sector's general context supports this: the big Spanish firms closed 2025 with generalised payroll increases, as El País reported in its analysis of the big law firms, in a market where competition for experienced talent remains the main salary driver.

How to read these figures if you are negotiating

1. They are firm averages, not the whole profession. The self-employed lawyer or one working in small businesses faces different realities; we cover their situation in Self-employed lawyers.
2. The variable component weighs more the higher you go. At director level it already accounts for close to 18% of the package.
3. The gap between categories is the underlying debate. Juniors today earn 30% of what a director earns, and their increases are the smallest; we wrote about it in our editorial on the pay gap in law firms.
4. Location matters. The international firms, which raise the most, concentrate in Madrid and Barcelona; our guide to job offers for lawyers in Madrid covers the current market.

If you are considering a move, check the daily selection of legal job offers and sign up for alerts in our Legal jobs section.