Lawyer Salary

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If u from nus or big4 nia, cant get such offers. Continue dreams

Nus and b4 precisely that’s why asking.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Nus and b4 precisely that’s why asking.

What's your PQE, it's a little on the low end for a "top US firm". 150k lessing off the rental + tax rate cuts the take home by half. You're getting paid b4 rates in the end lol.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What's your PQE, it's a little on the low end for a "top US firm". 150k lessing off the rental + tax rate cuts the take home by half. You're getting paid b4 rates in the end lol.

Total 2 pqe on sg scale

The take-home for £150,000 annually post tax and national insurance is £7555 per month. Rent and bills in London (assuming you live alone and you live in a very nice modern apartment in central london) ranges from £2000-£2200 per month. That leaves you with £5355. You can save significantly more if you don’t mind apartments further out or if you flat share (some people don’t spend more than £1000 per month on rent and bills). Bearing in mind this is before bonus. US firms hand out multiple bonuses/ pay-outs (in addition to the fixed bonus when you hit your target hours, which is northwards of £8-10000 for FIRST YEARS). Skadden gave out 2020 Christmas bonuses for shits and giggles. US firms hire PR firms to manage your LinkedIn, there’s 24h secretarial and IT support, you have medical/life/dental insurance (your life insurance is upwards of £600,000), there’s wellness payments monthly on top of sponsored gym memberships. Even as a first year associate, you have experienced PAs, paralegals and dedicated support teams to help proofread and format your documents. The list goes on.

OP, I presume you are being pegged as a first year. £150,000 works out to nearly £205,000, which is the revised Cravath/DPW scale. This is one of the highest £ rates offered to first years by US firms in London. V&E tops the scale at £153,000.

I made the move from a B4! If there is any way I could reach out to you privately, I would! Am happy to answer any other non-monetary questions you have (eg about culture, deal flow, hours compared to B4 etc).

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Total 2 pqe on sg scale

Are you being PQE cut to NQ in London? For 2 PQE it's really low. I'd suggest you try and negotiate up to at least 1 PQE. Honestly, just ask, most firms are willing to negotiate with you once they make you an offer, but make sure you understand the different expectations for UK NQ and 1PQE.

Otherwise, just as a back of the envelope calculation. London's rental rate you have to account for around 3k/mth, that's 36k. Your take home rate after tax from 150k will be around 116k. You less off 36k is 80k.

2PQE in SG can probably earn higher because you don't need to pay for housing (if you stay with family). From my friend's accounts, usually you can expect to take home 1-2k more (at max) when starting out in the UK. So it's up to you if you feel it is worth it.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you’re offered 150k pounds (basic) to work in London as a lawyer, would you go?
Top US firm

You'll probably earn more staying in Singapore after taking into account taxes and rent, but as privileged as this sounds life is more about earning as much money as possible. You'll still be earning a decent/comfortable amount so if you'd like to go for the experience of working and living in London, go try it out for the life experience then come back after 2 or 3 years if you don't like it or don't see yourself living there long-term.

You should also consider your options in Singapore when/if you want to return - i.e. if the new role is good for your career. YMMV depending on your practice area.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You'll probably earn more staying in Singapore after taking into account taxes and rent, but as privileged as this sounds life is more about earning as much money as possible. You'll still be earning a decent/comfortable amount so if you'd like to go for the experience of working and living in London, go try it out for the life experience then come back after 2 or 3 years if you don't like it or don't see yourself living there long-term.

You should also consider your options in Singapore when/if you want to return - i.e. if the new role is good for your career. YMMV depending on your practice area.

Cheers.

Same poster sorry, I meant life is more *THAN* about earning as much money as possible..

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Same poster sorry, I meant life is more *THAN* about earning as much money as possible..

sorry the posters here don't care about anything other than money. get out of here with your sensible comment

go to ldn so you can make all your whiteworshipping peers jealous with your ig stories of you sipping a flat white by an australian barista in south kensington without having to do that tt check in crap

its not about the money its about telling yourself and your peers that you're better than them. when you come back to sg with some dead white man's name on your cv and several litres of his descendants' sperm in your cervix/colon your peers will worship the ground you walk on and everything you tell them to do in that plummy new accent sounds like an order from the queen herself

The tax concern is real. 45% tax.
On a £90-110k salary for sg qualified 0-3 Pqe lawyers, minus rent and tax the take home is nothing fantastic.
Only thing is like earlier poster said, you invite jealousy from your fellow sg peers.
But I doubt it that you’ll be financially well off if you do the maths