The Brief:
Aussie lawyers chasing bigger paydays abroad can massively boost their income by making the right switch.
We crunched the numbers on pre-tax, post-tax and cost of living across five global legal hubs — and the results might surprise you.
If you’re a corporate Aussie lawyer, you’ve probably thought:
Should I swap Bondi for Manhattan, or perhaps the Thames?
We all know Big Law or the Magic Circle pays the big bucks. But when you actually crunch the numbers, the right move is not what you might think.
Let’s break it down.
Pre-Tax Income
We looked at the big relocation contenders — London, New York, Dubai and the Caymans. The cities commonly brought up in the “should I do a stint?” chat.
On paper, New York looks like a slam dunk.
Source: Beacon Legal / Legal Cheek / World Salaries / Big Investor
Sydney lawyers earn about A$125k on average. But when compared to average New York City salaries, we’re talking a 176% bump to A$345k.
It’s a 74% jump in the Caymans (A$218k), 94% in London (A$243k) and 122% in Dubai (A$277k).
Post-Tax Income
But as they say, “death and taxes”.
Once tax bites, the Big Apple isn’t the frontrunner from a financial perspective.
Source: Beacon Legal / Legal Cheek / World Salaries / Big Investor
That big New York paycheck?
Shaved down hard by taxes. London’s salary also takes a trim.
About A$90k of your salary goes to the tax man in NYC, and about A$60k in London.
Meanwhile, Dubai surges to the top with a $277k average post-tax income — nearly 180% higher than Sydney — thanks to its 0% income tax regime.
Cost of Living
Now for the final test: how far your paycheck goes.
Source: Numbeo
In LDN, you earn 56% more, but your costs rise 20% — rent is 28% higher and restaurants 31% more. So the net gain is slim. The higher pay mostly evaporates into higher living.
Meanwhile, the city that never sleeps also never stops depleting your funds. For instance, a one-bedroom apartment in Sydney CBD will set you back about A$3.4k per month, compared with an A$6.1k price tag for NYC. You earn 157% more, but life costs 52% more — the steepest increase, but a worthwhile trade.
Even the Caymans’ paradise comes at a premium. Cost of living jumps 47% compared with Sydney, with groceries up 47%, restaurants up 66%, and rent up 37%.
That puts the UAE as the clear outlier. You earn 180% more, pay zero tax, and costs are actually 7% lower overall. Rent’s roughly on par, groceries are almost 40% cheaper, and restaurants cost about the same.
Verdict
Aussie lawyers are sleeping on Dubai.
Once you price in tax and expenses, Dubai offers the best bang for your buck. Which means now is the perfect time to book that Emirates flight (#ad)1
But life as a lawyer isn’t purely about the return, right?
It’s about the lifestyle, which is what we’ll cover next.
1 We wish.