The private practice team at Larson Maddox has a sharp new piece on what the 2026 Big Law salary scale leaves out. The headline grid now runs from $235,000 for first-years to $455,000 for eighth-years. The recruiter’s own data puts eighth-years at mid-tier metro firms closer to $300,000 in base pay.
Why should in-house lawyers care? That grid is the number every associate carries into an in-house offer talk, and it is base salary only. Bonus rules, hours thresholds and late matches (some firms only pay the scale from January or February 2027) decide what people really take home, which is why so many mid-levels start looking around in years five to eight. Before you compare, check real in-house salary ranges (some figures are base salary only) in the Larson Maddox salary guide and the JW Michaels numbers we covered this week. Then browse the in-house counsel jobs.
As Larson Maddox puts it: “By year eight, associates at mid-tier metro firms earn approximately $300,000 in base salary before bonus. Against the updated market scale, that is a structural gap of $155,000.”
Read: What The 2026 Big Law Salary Scale Misses at Larson Maddox