Workloads are rising steadily for law firms and legal departments across Canada, especially in major markets. But as many legal employers take more time to evaluate candidates to confirm they have the appropriate skills, that increases stress for already overtaxed workers who need the relief additional support can bring. Increasing salary levels and offering flexible work options are strategies many employers use to help attract and retain top talent. But in a competitive hiring market, moving quickly is the key, especially if employers want to secure in-demand professionals like law clerks and legal assistants with relevant certifications and industry-specific experience.
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Legal Hiring Trends in Canada
The challenging market has employers concerned about retention (86%), finding qualified candidates (80%), skills gaps (79%) and hiring fast enough to land top talent (77%).Hiring managers are assessing potential hires for the soft skills needed to support tenured staff, and to gauge whether they’re likely to stay with the firm for the long term.In corporate legal departments and law firms, 97% of managers report high confidence that compensation will rise in 2025.
Leadership/ management experienceCompliance and risk management AI and automationResearch and information analysisData analyticsLeadership/ management experienceCompliance and risk management AI and automationResearch and information analysisData analytics
Wide acceptance of the hybrid work model
Nearly 4 in 10 legal employers offer hybrid work options, while 45% provide flexible schedules to attract and hire skilled candidates.50% of legal professionals want to pursue a role that allows them to work off-site at least part of the time, while 45% would prefer a fully remote position.
Lack of succession candidatesRetirement of key employeesInsufficient upskilling programsCandidates uninterested in leadershipNo succession plan in placeLack of succession candidatesRetirement of key employeesInsufficient upskilling programsCandidates uninterested in leadershipNo succession plan in place
How do we determine our salary figures and benchmarks? See our methodology.The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.Non-salary data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents included hiring managers and employees from small (1-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-10,000 or more employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.
