Davis Polk & Wardwell, one of the most profitable law firms in the Am Law 100, announced pay raises Friday for associates that go beyond the Milbank associate pay scale announced a day earlier. The new move raises the stakes even more for Am Law 100 firms, as partners take a close look at whether their firm profitability this year can keep up with the rising market for associate pay.

Starting associates at Davis Polk in the 2021 class will receive $202,500 and last year's class will receive $205,000—just beating Milbank's $200,000 starting salary for 2020 and 2021 class associates. Overall, the firm raised associate pay above Milbank at each rung of the associate salary scale, exceeding Milbank by about $2,500 to $10,000, depending on the class.