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CD salary range in LA?
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Rising Star
You can’t measure whether your comp is reasonable just by YOE and hours in a profession like ours. $103k is pretty good if the firm is billing you out really cheap and only collecting $150k for your work (because you’re keeping 69% of what you generated). But if clients pay the firm $1M for your work in a year, then $103k is unreasonably low because that’s only 10%. You should take your hourly rate x 2200 hours/year, and if that’s meaningfully more than $300k, then your pay is probably low. General rule of thumb is that your all in-comp should be about 1/3 of collections.
I personally would not want to work 2200 hours for $103k, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable pay. Just means you should probably take this in-house offer or find a firm with higher rates.
Also, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Be very careful before leaving. My firm is not known for paying out astronomical salaries but at the end of the day, I have no fear of being laid off because there is no work. I will take job security over salary any day.
This is child abuse.
Chief
Salary seemed super low for the hours required. What’s your practice area?
Chief
Got it. Idk much about that world (I’m in biglaw), but I’d bet you could land a higher paying gig for those hours for sure.
Chief
You could have gotten a job at In N Out after high school. Would have taken you less than 7 years to make the same salary…
I think that is very unreasonable. I have a much better gig, but am pretty specialized (patent pros). At that level of experience I was getting 170k for 1700 hours
I am a paralegal and i make that much with 1200 annual billable requirement!
I make 103K as a paralegal and have a requirement of 1500. You need to leave.
2200 hours is insane for any size firm. Most firms start their bonus considerations at 1900-2100 hrs (anything over is bonus eligible)
I would look elsewhere. Consider taking the in-house role. Trial experience is not worth your pay package. Also, IMO - unless you know with certainty that you want to be a trial lawyer (not just a litigator, but an actual trial lawyer).. trial exp is overrated
That's awful friend
Unless the bonus is huge, I think you’re getting screwed. I’m in one of the lowest cost of living states and first years at the good/larger firms (75+ attorneys) have been getting paid $125k plus a $5-10k bonus for at least 3 years (scale is probably due for an adjustment) for an 1800 hour requirement.
Your current pay is abusive for the billable hours you have to produce. Lateral to a better firm for a couple of more years until you get the trial experience you seek and then search for an inhouse position. In house positions will still be available in the market when you're ready.
I worked at an insurance defense firm in NYC with a 180 hour billable requirement and about the same salary. It's a horrible way of life. I am much happier in a job without billable hours and make more money.
Where are you located? Does sound low but location could help rationalize it.
Central Fl
Yes, I had a 105k salary at midlaw and a 1450 billing requirement.
Wildly underpaid. Are you in insurance defense?
Underpaid for sure, for reference I make 185k with base/bonus for 1500 hours in LCOL small firm
That is psychotic. I can’t say much since my firm says they expect 160-180 per month, meaning be close to 180 and i’m paid 142,500. I think a little crazy but yeah you should look elsewhere those hours are nuts
Go in house. Yes you are being underpaid ! Sheesh!
I worked at a family law firm with 1 attorney who had at least 60 open family cases at once. There were 3 paralegals / legal assistants and 1 receptionist that also did some billable work. I had to bill 105 hours every month and that was sometimes difficult with the admin work that I couldn’t bill for like training new employees. But 185 hours a month during a month where there are only 4 weeks is insane. That means if you work and bill 8hr a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks, you won’t even hit 185. You’d definitely have to work weekends or 12 hr days or something. I’m all for putting in hard work and some overtime to grow and learn, but I do not live to work, I work to live. I don’t judge anyone who does live to work, but if that’s the case, you should at least earn what you’re worth.
What happens if you don’t meet requirement? Seems like when you take vacation it would be necessary to miss it sometimes.
So you don't have to bill the entire amount, but your entire amount is 185, and you should still bill at least 185?
Something isn't tracking here...
Lanza law firm is hiring and you can work from home or go into the office.