According to our data, on average Chilean lawyers are likely to be better compensated than their peers in the rest of the continent (with the only exception of those qualified in the United States and Canada).
It comes as no surprise that US lawyers, followed by Canadians, have the highest total compensation in the continent. However, Chile holds a solid third place. This might shock those who expect the bronze would go to countries with much larger populations, such as Mexico, Brazil, Perú or Colombia.
Chilean Lawyers: the best paid in Latin America
Chile is definitely a powerhouse in the region. Solid institutions have attracted global companies for decades. The nation’s capital, Santiago, has climbed in the ranks of expensive cities and is home to elite practitioners who have completed an LL.M from a top foreign law school, an internship at an American law firm and/or admission to the NY Bar. Senior Associates of top tier law firms in Chile will have pocketed around USD 120,000 this 2018. Such firms can easily put USD 43,000 per annum in the hands of entry-level lawyers in their early twenties. A last token of this trend is the ever-growing segment of young General Counsels that have surpassed the USD 420,000 threshold (salary + bonuses); and some of them are not even in regional roles. English is mandatory to land any of these high-paying jobs. However, soft skills is the critical trait of this new generation of highly sophisticated attorneys.