Lawyers' pay on the rise again

Lawyers’ pay on the rise again

After a long period in which firms managed their expenses conservatively and cautiously, Israel’s legal sector is gradually returning to moderate salary rises. In 2025, the average pay of salaried lawyers rose by 2.4% in comparison with 2024. In 2024, when the profession was at a standstill, salaries rose by just 1.5%.

In 2023, average lawyers’ pay rose by 5%, so the current figures indicate a measured approach. The rise in 2025 is still smaller than the average rise in wages across the economy, which was an annualized 4.5% in the first half of last year.

According to the annual survey by placement agency Codex, the average monthly gross pay of salaried lawyers rose from NIS 20,600 in 2024 to NIS 21,100 in 2025, while the median salary rose by 2.2% to NIS 18.600.

Small is large

Codex’s survey, carried out in October-November 2025 among 2,904 respondents, indicates that it was the small firms that led the rises in pay. In firms employing up to nine lawyers, the pay of young lawyers shot up by 11%, while for those with 8-10 years experience, the rise was 12%.

In small to medium-size firms (up to 39 lawyers) there was a dramatic correction to the trend. Lawyers with six years service saw their pay rise by 8%, after experiencing a decline of a similar magnitude in 2024.

In the mid-size firms, the pay of young lawyers improved, while that of experienced lawyers rose by 7%.

In the large firms (over 150 lawyers), the pay of lawyers in most groups rose by 1-2% but for senior lawyers (6-8 years) there were significant rises of up to 12%, after a slight erosion of their pay in 2024.

When it comes to practice areas, high-tech continues to lead the salary table, with an average of NIS 22,800 monthly for lawyers with 3-5 years experience. International commercial law (NIS 22,100) overtook capital markets (NIS 21,900). These are followed by tax and local commercial law. At the other end of the table are torts and insurance, where the average salary at this level of seniority is NIS 15,600. “Areas directly linked to business activity and regulation have strengthened substantially,” says Codex CEO Liat Ben-Zvi Shevach.

Privacy protection gains importance

The survey also examines the pay of in-house legal counsel at companies, and finds wide gaps depending on the company’s areas of business. Lawyers in high-tech companies come top, with an average monthly salary of NIS 41,000 for those with 10-15 years experience. After them comes privacy protection, with an average salary of NIS 39,000 at that level of seniority. Then come international commerce and financial advice (NIS 33,600), and real estate (NIS 31,000).

Average wage in Israel up 4.6% in November

Ben-Zvi Shevach says that the figures indicate that pay in 2026 is not only a function of sector, but also of exposure to regulation and risk. “Privacy protection stands out for high pay at senior levels, because in many organizations it is no longer a ‘support area’ but a critical layer that links law, data security, and product. The competition over talent has expanded beyond classic high-tech.”

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on January 5, 2026.

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