01-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

HSC ATAR calculator VCE ATAR calculator QCE ATAR calculator

Salary

Cited figures only: median full-time weekly earnings for the ANZSCO unit group Solicitors (2713) from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia), and where available the QILT graduate starting salary for the matching study area.

Figure	AUD	Source
Median full-time weekly earnings	$1828	Your Career (2026-09-23)
Graduate starting salary	$80,000	QILT (2026-08-31)

How far does this stretch in each city?

Jobs, demand and who does this work

Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Solicitor (271311), the closest official match for solicitor, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).

People employed: 106,300
Future demand: Strong
Work full-time: 87%
Average full-time hours: 46 a week
Women: 61%
Median age: 37

Where the jobs are (share of workers)

NSW	36.9%
VIC	30.1%
QLD	15.1%
WA	8.8%
SA	3.8%
TAS	1.2%
ACT	3.6%
NT	0.5%

Highest qualification held by workers

Postgraduate qualification	32.8%
Bachelor degree	64.7%
Diploma or advanced diploma	0.5%
Certificate I-IV	0.1%
Year 12	0.5%
Below Year 12	0.1%

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

1Finish Year 12 with strong English and a competitive ATAR; most law schools want low to mid 90s
2Complete an accredited Bachelor of Laws (LLB, 4 years) or a Juris Doctor (JD, 3 years postgraduate)
3Complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) through the College of Law, ANU Legal Workshop or equivalent (around 6 months full-time)
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)
5Obtain a practising certificate from the state regulator (Law Society of NSW, Victorian Legal Services Board, Queensland Law Society etc.) renewed annually
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 roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.

Graduate or junior lawyer
0-2 years
Typical roles: Graduate lawyer, Junior solicitor, Law clerk pending admission
Lawyer
2-5 years
Typical roles: Lawyer, Senior associate-track lawyer, In-house counsel
Senior associate
5-8 years
Typical roles: Senior associate, Senior in-house counsel, Government senior lawyer
Partner or general counsel
10+ years
Typical roles: Partner, Special counsel, General counsel

Is this for you?

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

Ways in

Uni and TAFE routes for solicitor. 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.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.