Legal and in-house lawyer salaries in Hong Kong based on years' experience and whether with or without HKICS / CSA qualifications, quoted in HKD per annum.
| Legal Support | Years of experience | Qualification HKICS / CSA | HK$ (basic per annum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Secretarial Assistant | 1 - 3 | without | 180k - 280k |
| Company Secretarial Officer | 4 - 7 | with or without | 280k - 360k |
| Senior Company Secretarial Officer | 7 - 10 | with | 360k - 420k |
| Assistant Company Secretarial Manager | 10 - 15 | with | 420k - 600k |
| Company Secretarial Manager | 15+ | with | 600k - 800k |
| Company Secretary | 20+ | with | 800k - 1,400k |
| Paralegal | 0 - 5 | 240k - 480k | |
| Paralegal | 6 - 10 | 480k - 700k | |
| Paralegal | 11 - 15 | 700k - 840k | |
| Paralegal | 15+ | 950k+ |
| In-House Lawyer | HK$ (basic per annum) |
|---|---|
| Newly Qualified - 2 years PQE | 600k - 950k |
| 3 - 5 years PQE | 950k - 1,300k |
| 6 - 8 years PQE | 1,300k - 1,800k |
| 8 - 10 years PQE | 1,800k - 2,200k |
| 10 - 15 years PQE | 2,200k - 2,500k |
| 15+ years PQE | 2,500k+ |
Legal recruitment in Hong Kong has remained competitive as financial services firms continue to place focus on adhering to regulations, compliance and outsourcing activities.
The demand for legal support including paralegal and company secretary roles continues as a result of turnover and we are seeing a shift in demand for in-house legal counsel with 4-6 years PQE.
A number of qualified lawyers are making the move to in-house legal counsel roles for financial institutions. On the candidate side, this change is motivated by lifestyle needs and the similar base salary available. Good lawyers can move with more than 20% base increment depending on the role and coverage. Chinese financial institutions tend to have smaller legal teams, requiring candidates to fulfil some company secretarial work as part of their responsibilities.
Basic salary increment for legal support roles can range from 15-20%. In-house legal counsel roles can range between 18-20%, depending on the qualifications and experience of candidates.
If you would like to find out more specific salary or hiring information please contact your Morgan McKinley office today.
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