The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a report updating its analysis of data on barristers’ income by gender and ethnicity. This builds on previous research by the BSB published in 2020 and research into incomes undertaken by the Bar Council in September 2021 by considering a wider range of factors liked to income (such as seniority and location) as well as comparing pre and post pandemic income levels.
The report shows that female barristers are likely to earn less than male barristers and that those from minority ethnic backgrounds are likely to earn less than White barristers. There are also differences in the income of barristers from minority ethnic backgrounds once ethnicity is looked at in more detail, with Black and Black British barristers earning less than Asian and Asian British barristers overall.
As it did in the BSB report published in November 2020, the report shows that income differences are particularly marked when looking at gender and ethnicity together, with female barristers from minority ethnic backgrounds being the lowest earning group and white male barristers being the highest earning group.
