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Went to law school in Utah but work at a market paying firm in Texas (not Austin). SLC is exploding and both Kirkland and WSGR recently opened SLC offices and pay market. As for the local/regional Utah firms, they pay waaaay below market. Not sure of their billable requirements, but you will probably get comp around $120 or $130 on the high end. Utah has lots of LDS/Mormon unicorns that end up wanting to stay there because of family/the religion/culture. So they end up settling for lower paying firms. That may be changing now that Kirkland and WSGR have come into town, but I doubt it. The Kirkland office there is mostly doing satellite work for it’s CA offices. The local clientele for the regional UT firms just can’t pay Kirkland rates. Also, housing has gotten pretty expensive there.
Mentor
With the influx of Biglaw, the local shops have raised salaries. For the Utah native firms and regionals, you are looking at $150-$160k. I heard Dorsey is starting at $180k.
Mayer, Greenberg and Ballard also have offices. I assume Mayer oats market but no idea about the other two.
Mentor
I’m in one of Denver/SLC . Corporate. It’s been great. My salary goes further (not as far as before since pre-pandemic but still live in a nice home with a yard). Office is more relaxed and cares less about face-time and dress codes than our larger offices. Much more relaxed vibe all around. I think because folks in the office self selected to be in this market for certain reasons, and they mostly have to do with family, COL or outdoor recreation.
I’ve had a great experience thus far.
Mentor
One more thing, with remote being prevalent, I still get to work on sophisticated transactions, if that’s your thing. I know some people are worried about that but I pretty much only work with our large office teams.
In a similar boat - following!
Do it. NY sucks. I’m northeast lifer but I’m telling you the access to the outdoors in the cities you mentioned so worth it. Lived in an “outdoors city” for two years and it just makes the culture and mentality of life so different. Also you’ll realize how boring life is living here where all there is to do is eat and shop. Besides your money will go a lot further in those cities
Happy to make intros in either SLC or Denver as I work both markets and know a number of either city’s senior attorneys at many of the firms mentioned here.
I recently jumped from NY to one of these markets (apologies A3, there were family reasons involved). Feel free to DM.
Mentor
Ugh, I hate the moving for family mentality. Stay where you are!