Linklaters has increased base pay for newly qualified (NQ) lawyers by £1,000, with NQs now set to receive around £90,000 when basic salary and performance bonus are combined.

The firm declined to confirm whether it had boosted pay for its more experienced associates, in contrast with previous years when it had provided a breakdown of pay expectations at different levels of seniority.

Last year, Linklaters published figures showing total salary plus typical bonus payment ranges for associates in their first four years with the firm.

According to the information provided last year, average NQ lawyers would receive £81,000 but top-performing NQs could expect to earn £91,000. The equivalent ranges for one, two and three years' post-qualification experience (PQE) were £90,000- £101,000, £100,000-£119,000 and £111,000-£130,000 respectively.

A Linklaters spokesperson said: "We closely monitor salaries and bonuses to ensure that our reward levels remain extremely competitive. We are committed to maintaining a performance culture and rewarding high performing employees with a bonus system that appropriately recognises their contribution."

Trainees at the firm start on £43,000, rising to £49,000 for second years. They are also eligible for a performance-related bonus after each seat.

Linklaters is not the only magic circle firm to shy away from disclosing associate pay rates this year. Last week RollOnFriday reported that Clifford Chance had handed out an 'inflation-matching' 2.7% pay increase, although the firm declined to comment.

Slaughter and May, meanwhile, has opted to freeze associate salaries for 2017-18, having boosted pay in January, in a one-off move outside of the firm's regular annual pay review. From 1 January, NQ pay at the firm rose by 9% to £78,000, while lawyers with one year's PQE saw the biggest rise, with a 10% hike to £87,000.