Law Firm Associate Signing Bonuses Take a Dive, Recruiter Finds

Average signing bonuses for law firm associates have dropped by $10,000 since 2017 partly because salaries have gone up and women are getting less, according to client data compiled by a legal staffing and recruiting company.

The average signing bonus this year so far is about $17,000 with the highest paid by a Special Counsel client coming in at $60,000 compared to a record $90,000 last year.

Some 126 attorneys who were Special Counsel clients received bonuses ranging from $3,000-$60,000, according to data provided by the company through Oct. 18.

Those included 84 who received signing bonuses as opposed to ...