Linklaters has increased its salary for NQs and associates by up to 7%.

The pay for first year trainees has increased £2k from £40,000 to £42,000, a 5% rise. NQs will take home £68,500, also a 5% rise on last year's £65,000. But their new wedge falls short of the new £70,000 benchmark set by Slaughter and May a fortnight ago and matched by Hogan Lovells this week.

1PQE solicitors will be paid £74,000 (up from £70,500). Pay is banded for higher PQEs, but based on the average, 2PQEs will now be on £85,625 (up from £79,750) and 3PQEs on £95,500 (up from £90,500).  That's a rise of just over 7% for 2PQE lawyers. Decent, albeit not quite in the same league as the 10% rise for 2PQEs at Slaughter and May. Meanwhile A&O, Clifford Chance and Freshfields are all still to show their hand.

"Ooo, look how much they're paying": CC and Freshfields yesterday

As things stand, the table of salaries for Magic Circle associates looks like this:

£k	NQ	1PQE	2PQE	3PQE	Total post-qualification earning over four years*
A&O	64	69	78.5	89	301
Clifford Chance	67.5	72.5	84	93.5	318
Freshfields	67.5	77.5	87.5	100	333
Linklaters	68.5	74	85.6	95.5	324
Slaughters	70	75.5	87	96.5	329

Simon Branigan, graduate recruitment partner at Linklaters, said "we believe that our compensation is extremely competitive and an important factor in attracting and retaining some of the brightest and best talent in the market".

*With the usual caveat that this doesn't include bonuses or take account of salary variations within each band. However, it does provide some indication as to what each firm is prepared to pay.