← Law and government

ANZSCO 2713Skill level 1Law and government

Solicitor

Advise clients on legal rights and obligations, draft contracts and represent them in dealings short of court advocacy.

Registration: Practical Legal Training and admission as a lawyer in the relevant state Supreme Court

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Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$2250Job Outlook (2025-06-01)
Graduate starting salary$75,000QILT (2025-03-01)

How far does this stretch in each city?

What a solicitor actually does

Solicitors run a docket of active matters at the same time and switch between them across the day. Mornings often go to drafting: contracts, advices, court documents, settlement deeds. Afternoons can be heavier on client calls, opposing-lawyer correspondence, and internal file reviews with a senior. Mid-tier and top-tier commercial firms record time in six-minute units, so the day is a long sequence of small tasks each tagged to a client matter. Litigation lawyers add court appearances, witness conferences and tight filing deadlines. In-house counsel sit inside one organisation, advising business teams on commercial, employment and regulatory questions. Hours sit at 40-50 a week in smaller firms and government, and stretch to 55-70 a week in top-tier commercial firms during a deal or trial. Most of the day is desk-based in a CBD office or hybrid from home.

Typical tasks

  • Take client instructions.
  • Research applicable law and draft documents.
  • Negotiate settlements and run matters.

Skills you'll use

  • Reading and applying case law and legislation
  • Drafting precise contracts, advices and court documents
  • Listening to clients and translating their goals into legal terms
  • Negotiating commercial and dispute outcomes
  • Project-managing a docket of active matters at once
  • Writing clear plain-English summaries of complex rules
  • Recording billable time and meeting cost-estimate budgets
  • Maintaining client confidentiality and professional ethics

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 12 with strong English and a competitive ATAR; most law schools want low to mid 90s
  2. 2Complete an accredited Bachelor of Laws (LLB, 4 years) or a Juris Doctor (JD, 3 years postgraduate)
  3. 3Complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) through the College of Law, ANU Legal Workshop or equivalent (around 6 months full-time)
  4. 4Apply for admission as a lawyer in your state Supreme Court (NSW via the Legal Profession Admission Board, Victoria via the Victorian Legal Admissions Board, similar bodies in each state)
  5. 5Obtain a practising certificate from the state regulator (Law Society of NSW, Victorian Legal Services Board, Queensland Law Society etc.) renewed annually
  6. 6Work the first two years under supervised practice before holding an unrestricted practising certificate

Where you can work

  • Top-tier commercial law firms in capital-city CBDs
  • Mid-tier and boutique commercial and litigation practices
  • Suburban and regional general-practice firms
  • In-house legal teams inside ASX-listed corporates
  • Federal and state government legal teams
  • Legal Aid commissions and community legal centres
  • The Australian Government Solicitor and state Crown Solicitor's offices

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Graduate or junior lawyer
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Graduate lawyer, Junior solicitor, Law clerk pending admission
    Salary band: $70,000 - $95,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Lawyer
    2-5 years
    Typical roles: Lawyer, Senior associate-track lawyer, In-house counsel
    Salary band: $95,000 - $150,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior associate
    5-8 years
    Typical roles: Senior associate, Senior in-house counsel, Government senior lawyer
    Salary band: $150,000 - $230,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Partner or general counsel
    10+ years
    Typical roles: Partner, Special counsel, General counsel

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You like building a careful written argument from primary sources
  • You can hold a confidential conversation without leaking detail
  • You can take direct feedback on your drafting and apply it the next day
  • You're patient with process, precedent and reading long documents
  • You can manage many small competing deadlines without losing track
  • You're willing to study heavily for 4-6 years before you earn senior pay

This might not suit you if

  • You hate sitting at a desk reading and writing for long stretches
  • You want a job that's done at 5pm every day during a deal or trial
  • You can't stand recording your time in six-minute units
  • You want fully remote work with no court attendance or client meetings

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for solicitor. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

No direct TAFE pathway to this career.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.