Biglaw has no official definition but loosely refers to the nation’s largest law firms, most of which are located in the major U.S. cities. Lawyers working in Biglaw are generally paid on the Cravath scale, which is a system of lockstep associate compensation based on the number of years out of law school. Not only are all lawyers on the Cravath scale paid the same, they can generally expect to receive the same market bonus each year.
It’s called the Cravath scale because it’s an offshoot of the Cravath system and because Cravath, Swaine & Moore is generally considered the trendsetter when it comes to associate salaries. Given the lockstep nature, associates tend to follow any changes to the Biglaw salary scale closely.
The Cravath scale has largely stayed the same across the major law firms because those firms are competing for the best students from the best schools. If one firm offers a higher salary, historically the other firms tend to follow suit. The below tables show the current Biglaw salary scale, as well historical changes in associate compensation and a comparison of the historical Biglaw associate salaries with the current Cravath scale on an inflation-adjusted basis.
Current Biglaw Salary Scale (as of July 2018)
| Class | Salary | Bonus | Total |
| 1st Year | $190,000 | $15,000 | $205,000 |
| 2nd Year | $200,000 | $25,000 | $225,000 |
| 3rd Year | $220,000 | $50,000 | $270,000 |
| 4th Year | $255,000 | $65,000 | $320,000 |
| 5th Year | $280,000 | $80,000 | $360,000 |
| 6th Year | $305,000 | $90,000 | $395,000 |
| 7th Year | $325,000 | $100,000 | $425,000 |
| 8th Year | $345,000 | $100,000 | $445,000 |
Historical Biglaw Salary Scale (as of July 2016)
| Class | Salary | Inflation-Adjusted |
| 1st Year | $180,000 | $188,291 |
| 2nd Year | $190,000 | $198,752 |
| 3rd Year | $210,000 | $219,673 |
| 4th Year | $235,000 | $245,825 |
| 5th Year | $260,000 | $271,976 |
| 6th Year | $280,000 | $292,897 |
| 7th Year | $300,000 | $313,818 |
| 8th Year | $315,000 | $329,510 |
Historical Biglaw Salary Scale (as of January 2007)
| Class | Salary | Inflation-Adjusted |
| 1st Year | $160,000 | $198,966
|
| 2nd Year | $170,000 | $211,401 |
| 3rd Year | $185,000 | $230,054 |
| 4th Year | $210,000 | $261,143 |
| 5th Year | $230,000 | $286,013 |
| 6th Year | $250,000 | $310,885 |
| 7th Year | $265,000 | $329,537 |
| 8th Year | $280,000 | $348,190 |
Historical Biglaw Salary Scale (as of 2006)
| Class | Salary | Inflation-Adjusted |
| 1st Year | $145,000 | $184,056 |
Historical Biglaw Salary Scale (as of January 2000)
| Class | Salary | Inflation-Adjusted |
| 1st Year | $125,000 | $186,398 |
| 2nd Year | $135,000 | $201,309 |
| 3rd Year | $150,000 | $223,678 |
| 4th Year | $170,000 | $253,501 |
| 5th Year | $190,000 | $283,325 |
| 6th Year | $205,000 | $305,692 |
| 7th Year | $220,000 | $328,061 |
| 8th Year | $235,000 | $350,428 |
Historical Biglaw Salary Scale (as of 1999)
| Class | Salary | Inflation-Adjusted |
| 1st Year | $100,000 | $153,202 |
