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Barristers and judges salary in London

Full-time average annual pay in London

£28,113

Based on ~15,000 employees · 2025 · moderate suppression

Median

£28,113

Mean

Not disclosed

‘Not disclosed’ means the source withheld this value because the sample was too small to publish without risking identification. See full methodology →

Region-level range withheld by ONS — UK-wide, the middle half of barristers and judges earn £21,705£60,096. See full methodology →

Skilled Worker visa minimum

£59,400

Employment patterns

  • 91% of Barristers work full-time
  • 64% are self-employed
  • 97.9% of employees have permanent contracts

Understanding Barristers and judges pay in London

The typical barristers and judges in London earns a median salary of £28,113 in 2025/26, based on around 15,000 employees 17.9% (£6,140) below the UK-wide median of £34,253. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.

Across the UK, London ranks 7th of 8 regions for barristers and judges pay. Regional medians run from £25,610 in East of England up to £68,676 in West Midlands, a spread of £43,066 (168%).

To see what £28,113 means after income tax and National Insurance, use the take-home pay calculator below — it also factors in student loan repayments.

Take-home pay estimate

Tax year 2025/26
£
Annual
Gross salary£28,113
Income tax£3,109
National Insurance£1,243
Take-home pay£23,761

Estimate only · 2025/26 HMRC rates · Standard tax code · No pension contribution · Not financial or tax advice

How Barristers and judges pay varies by region

West Midlands is the highest-paying region for barristers and judges at £68,676 — 100% above the UK median. East of England is lowest at £25,610.

UK median £34,253

Barristers and judges median and mean salary by UK region, sorted highest to lowest.
RegionMedianvs UK
West Midlands
£68,676
£68,676Mean £67,857
+100%
South East
£58,851
£58,851Mean £56,808
+72%
North West
£50,951
£50,951Mean £55,757
+49%
Yorkshire and the Humber
£42,072
£42,072Mean £43,788
+23%
Scotland
£36,977
£36,977Mean £47,348
+8%
North East
£32,827
£32,827Mean £35,054
-4%
London (current region)
£28,113
£28,113
-18%
East of England
£25,610
£25,610Mean £25,260
-25%

Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£34,253); ‘Vs UK median’ compares each region’s median to it. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.

How barristers and judges pay has changed over time

UK-wide median annual pay for barristers and judges by year (Source: ONS ASHE).

UK median

25th–75th percentile range

Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table

How the figures are sourced

Data sources: Official UK earnings data (2025 provisional)(opens in new tab)

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