Barristers and judges roles in the UK earn a median of £56,000 per year, equivalent to £32.15 per hour as of 2025. Pay decreased 6.8% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £47,500 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £73,500 in West Midlands. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £50,915/yr (10% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£56,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£32.15
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
-6.8%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£41,000 – £72,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~16,000
estimated employees
26 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~18,000 → 2024: ~16,000
Market Signal
Growing marketPay and employment are both rising — competition for workers is increasing.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Annual pay for Barristers and judges across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
Annual pay fell by -6.8% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Barristers and judges.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
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For employers & recruiters
Barristers and judges prepare and conduct court cases on behalf of clients, preside over judicial proceedings, and pronounce judgements within a variety of court settings and tribunals.
Entry to training requires a qualifying law degree or postgraduate diploma. Entrants then undertake a one year Bar Professional Training Course followed by pupillage in one of the Inns of Court. The system for training of advocates in Scotland requires a postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice, followed by two years’ training as a solicitor and period of professional training lasting several months. The position of judge is obtained by appointment of those who have substantial post-qualifying experience in legal practice.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.