Salary Expectations vs. Experience
When aiming for an internal promotion, understanding how salary expectations align with your experience is critical - especially in competitive fields like legal finance. Misjudging this balance can unintentionally weaken your chances, particularly when external candidates are being considered alongside you.
I had a call with someone recently who was exploring an internal promotion. It was a step-up opportunity, and their employer was also considering external applications.
They wanted advice on what salary they should be aiming for. They didn’t want to sell themself short and be paid below market rate for the new role if successful and wanted to communicate their expectations clearly from the outset.
My advice in this situation is to be patient and realistic about what market rate equates to here = experience.
The average salary for someone doing that role in the market is based on the average experience level for someone holding that job title, which is usually several years of proven, practical experience.
Pitching for the same salary when you’re new to the role, with lower expectations upon you, is a risky move which could tip the balance in favour of an external applicant.
Across the legal finance niche there are plenty of career bottlenecks with experienced individuals having to patiently await the next step-up in their career. Don’t let the desire for short-term financial gain block your path. Experience will always pay off in the long run.
Explore more insights on salary trends and progression in legal finance in the 2025 Legal Accounts Salary Survey - now available on the Balance Recruitment website.





