Hiring for Legal, Risk & Compliance in the UK
The Legal, Risk & Compliance market in the UK stabilised in 2025 with hiring primarily focused on replacement roles and restructuring rather than expansion. Audit demand remains resilient in niche areas like IT and cyber audit, as cyber risk and operational resilience remain top priorities.
There is a notable trend of auditors transitioning into compliance monitoring due to their strong analytical discipline and regulatory familiarity.
The landscape is defined by longer hiring cycles and increased scrutiny, with firms leveraging a high supply of available talent to manage headcount costs.
In-Demand Legal, Risk & Compliance Roles in the UK
- Financial Crime Specialists
- Compliance Advisory Specialists
- Risk and Controls Specialists
- Field Service Engineers
- Compliance Monitoring and Testing Specialists
- Technology Risk and Controls Specialists
- IT Audit Specialists
- Cyber Audit Specialists
- Prudential Audit Specialists
- Generalist Audit Specialists
In-Demand Legal, Risk & Compliance Skills in the UK
- Financial crime
- Technology risk and controls
- Operational resilience
- Compliance advisory
- Risk and controls
Up, Down, or Flat? Legal, Risk & Compliance Salary Trends in the UK
Salaries in the Legal, Risk & Compliance sectors have moderated from previous peaks, with standard move increases now typically ranging between 10% and 15%. A surplus of candidates has allowed firms to negotiate more aggressively and occasionally drive down industry benchmarks.
Looking into 2026, salary growth is expected to remain tempered by high candidate availability, requiring professionals to manage expectations regarding significant pay jumps.
Legal, Risk & Compliance Salaries in the UK
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Sub Sector | ||||
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| Job Title | Sector | Sub Sector | Location | 0 - 3 years | 3 - 5 years | 5+ years |
General Counsel Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £80,000 - £100,000 | £130,000 - £155,000 | £160,000 - £190,000 |
Legal Director Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £100,000 - £120,000 | £110,000 - £130,000 | £120,000 - £150,000+ |
Senior Legal Counsel Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £80,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £120,000 | £110,000 - £130,000+ |
Legal Counsel Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £65,000 - £85,000 | £75,000 - £95,000 | £90,000 - £120,000+ |
Junior Legal Counsel / Legal Advisor Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £45,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £90,000+ |
Newly Qualified Solicitor Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £70,000 - £90,000 | ||
Contracts Manager Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £30,000 - £45,000 | £45,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £75,000+ |
Company Secretary Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £70,000 - £85,000 | £85,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £120,000+ |
Assistant Company Secretary Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £50,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £80,000+ |
Paralegal / Legal Executive Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry Annual rate |
Legal | Commerce & Industry | London | £25,000 - £35,000 | £35,000 - £45,000 | £35,000 - £45,000 |
General Counsel Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £145,000 - £180,000 | £180,000 - £220,000+ | |
Legal Director Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £90,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £140,000 | £140,000 - £160,000+ |
Senior Legal Counsel Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £95,000 - £115,000 | £115,000 - £135,000 | £135,000 - £155,000+ |
Legal Counsel Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £75,000 - £95,000 | £100,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £140,000+ |
Junior Legal Counsel / Legal Advisor Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £65,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £95,000 | £95,000 - £110,000+ |
Newly Qualified Solicitor Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £65,000 - £85,000 | ||
Contracts Manager Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £40,000 - £55,000 | £55,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £85,000+ |
Company Secretary Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £90,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £150,000 | £150,000 - £180,000+ |
Assistant Company Secretary Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £60,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £90,000+ |
Paralegal / Legal Executive Financial Services Financial Services Annual rate |
Legal | Financial Services | London | £40,000 - £50,000 | £50,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £70,000+ |
Head of Risk Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £120,000 - £150,000 | £140,000 - £170,000 | £170,000 - £220,000 | |
Risk Manager Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £65,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £95,000 | £95,000 - £140,000 | |
Head of Credit Risk Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £120,000 - £145,000 | £140,000 - £180,000 | £140,000 - £180,000 | |
Credit Risk Manager Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £60,000 - £85,000 | £80,000 - £110,000 | £95,000 - £130,000 | |
Credit Risk Analyst Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £60,000 - £85,000 | £75,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £140,000 | |
Credit Analyst Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £45,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £140,000 | |
Head of Operational Risk Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £110,000 - £125,000 | £125,000 - £160,000 | £160,000 - £200,000 | |
Operational Risk Manager Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £70,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £200,000 | |
Operational Risk Analyst Annual rate |
Risk Management | London | £50,000 - £60,000 | £70,000 - £85,000 | £85,000 - £125,000 | |
Compliance Assistant Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £30,000 - £50,000 | £50,000 - £65,000 | £65,000 - £80,000 | |
Compliance DCM Advisory Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £70,000 - £90,000 | £90,000 - £110,000 | £110,000 - £140,000+ | |
Fraud Analyst Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £35,000 - £40,000 | £40,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £80,000 | |
Compliance Regulatory Officer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £55,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £100,000 | |
KYC Manager Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £50,000 - £65,000 | £65,000 - £75,000 | £80,000 - £100,000 | |
Head of AML Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £100,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £150,000 | £150,000 - £300,000 | |
Compliance ECM Advisory Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £80,000 - £100,000 | £100,000 - £110,000 | £120,000 - £140,000 | |
MLRO Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £90,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £150,000 | £150,000 - £300,000 | |
Compliance Monitoring Officer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £50,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £90,000 | |
Head of Compliance Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £100,000 - £120,000 | £120,000 - £150,000 | £150,000 - £300,000 | |
KYC Analyst Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £30,000 - £40,000 | £40,000 - £55,000 | £55,000 - £70,000 | |
AML Manager Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £60,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £90,000 | £90,000 - £120,000 | |
Compliance Corporate Finance Advisory Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £70,000 - £90,000 | £90,000 - £110,000 | £120,000 - £200,000 | |
DMLRO Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £70,000 - £90,000 | £90,000 - £110,000 | £110,000 - £150,000 | |
Compliance Officer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £50,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £90,000 | |
Legal Compliance Manager / Director Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £100,000 - £115,000 | £115,000 - £130,000 | £130,000 - £200,000 | |
Periodic Reviewer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £30,000 - £40,000 | £40,000 - £50,000 | £50,000 - £70,000 | |
AML Analyst Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £40,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £100,000 | |
Compliance Testing and Reviews Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £60,000 - £75,000 | £75,000 - £85,000 | £90,000 - £150,000 | |
Financial Crime Officer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £50,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £90,000 | £80,000 - £100,000 | |
Compliance Generalist Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £40,000 - £60,000 | £60,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £110,000 | |
Compliance Advisory Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £60,000 - £80,000 | £70,000 - £90,000 | £110,000 - £200,000 | |
Investigations Officer Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £40,000 - £50,000 | £50,000 - £70,000 | £70,000 - £90,000 | |
Compliance Manager (Financial Services) Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £60,000 - £80,000 | £75,000 - £90,000 | £90,000 - £130,000 | |
Head of KYC Annual rate |
Compliance | London | £70,000 - £80,000 | £80,000 - £90,000 | £100,000 - £120,000 | |
Internal Audit Director Annual rate |
Internal Audit | London | £120,000 - £200,000 | |||
VP Internal Audit Annual rate |
Internal Audit | London | £90,000 - £130,000 | |||
AVP Internal Audit Annual rate |
Internal Audit | London | £65,000 - £90,000 | |||
Internal Auditor (newly qualified) Annual rate |
Internal Audit | London | £50,000 - £65,000 | |||
IT Audit Director Annual rate |
IT Audit / IT Risk | London | £100,000 - £180,000 | |||
Head of IT Audit Annual rate |
IT Audit / IT Risk | London | £180,000 - £220,000 | |||
IT Audit Senior Manager Annual rate |
IT Audit / IT Risk | London | £110,000 - £130,000 | |||
IT Audit Manager Annual rate |
IT Audit / IT Risk | London | £70,000 - £115,000 | |||
IT Auditor Annual rate |
IT Audit / IT Risk | London | £70,000 - £100,000 |
