Project lawyer: salary, day rate and what drives pay

Short answer: A project lawyer's pay depends first on the model: under staff leasing you earn a salary with social security, as a freelancer you charge a day rate and fund pension, holidays and gaps between assignments yourself. Experience, practice area, market and workload set the level. As a benchmark, companies pay Alpinum EUR 960–2,000+ per day for senior profiles in Germany and CHF 1,200–1,800+ in Switzerland (excl. VAT, as of 18 October 2026).

This guide is for lawyers and compliance professionals in Germany and Switzerland who work as project lawyers or are considering the move. It explains how a salary differs from a day rate, what drives project lawyer salary in Germany and Switzerland, and how to compare offers on a like-for-like basis. Companies looking for support will find assignment types, levels and models under project lawyers for companies.

Salary under staff leasing versus a freelance day rate

A salary and a day rate cannot be compared directly because they cover different costs. A project lawyer is either employed by the staffing provider (staff leasing) or self-employed (freelancing).

A day rate therefore looks far higher than a salary at first sight. Once pension, insurance, overheads and non-billable days are deducted, the gap narrows considerably. How the two models compare in practice is covered in Freelance or employed? The decision from the professional's perspective.

What drives pay: experience, practice area, market and model

Seniority has the biggest influence on a project lawyer's pay, followed by practice area, market and workload.

• Experience: Alpinum distinguishes junior (0–2 years), experienced (3–6 years) and senior (7+ years). Experienced is the most common interim level.
• Practice area: Scarce expertise, for example in regulatory work, data protection, corporate/M&A or AML/KYC, narrows the pool of suitable profiles and strengthens your negotiating position.
• Market and currency: Germany is billed in EUR, Switzerland in CHF. For assignments in Austria, Alpinum applies the German ranges.
• Model: Freelancing and staff leasing have different ranges because they include different costs.
• Workload and duration: Workload ranges from 20 to 100 % depending on the need. Annual earnings depend on how many days you actually work.
• Languages and sector: Business-fluent English, another national language or sector experience widen the choice of assignments.

The table below shows what companies pay Alpinum for legal and compliance professionals. These are client rates, not your salary or fee: they also cover the provider's services such as selection, vetting, contract handling and administration. Your salary or fee is agreed per assignment.

All figures excl. VAT, as of 18 October 2026. A "+" means the rate can be higher in individual cases.

From day rate to annual income: the calculation

A day rate only becomes comparable once you scale it to a year and deduct the costs an employer would otherwise carry. Work through these steps:

1. Estimate billable days: working days per year minus public holidays, holidays, sickness, training, business development and gaps between assignments.
2. Calculate annual revenue: billable days × day rate.
3. Deduct costs: social security and pension, health and professional indemnity insurance, office, IT, training and bookkeeping.
4. Compare with a salary: the result roughly equals a gross salary plus employer contributions, not the gross salary alone.

Example based on assumptions: a freelancer expects 180 billable days at a fee of 900 per day, giving annual revenue of 162,000. After assumed costs of 35,000 for pension, insurance and overheads, 127,000 remains before tax. With only 150 billable days, it would be 100,000. All figures are assumptions and work the same in CHF or EUR. A step-by-step method for your own rate is set out in Calculating your day rate as a freelance lawyer.

Germany and Switzerland compared

The pay drivers are the same in both countries; the legal framework and terms differ.

• Germany: under staff leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung, German temporary agency work) you are in principle entitled to the same pay as comparable employees of the client; a collective agreement may deviate, for pay usually only during the first nine months (Section 8 AÜG). Alpinum Solutions GmbH applies the collective agreements of the DGB/GVP bargaining group. Whether freelancing counts as self-employment is decided, if in doubt, by the German Pension Insurance (Section 7a SGB IV).
• Switzerland: under Personalverleih (Swiss staff leasing), a written employment contract sets out matters including pay (Art. 19 AVG). Whether you are self-employed as a freelancer is assessed case by case by the AHV compensation office, based on the actual circumstances.

Employment under staff leasing is explained in Staff leasing from the professional's perspective; self-employment in both countries is covered in Going freelance as a lawyer in Germany and Switzerland.

Frequently asked questions about project lawyer pay

How much does a project lawyer earn?

It depends on the model and on experience. Employed project lawyers under staff leasing receive a salary agreed per assignment; in Germany, equal pay under Section 8 AÜG applies in principle. Freelancers charge a day rate. As a benchmark, companies pay Alpinum EUR 720–1,360 per day for experienced profiles in Germany and CHF 800–1,200 in Switzerland, excl. VAT.

What day rate does a project lawyer charge?

Your freelance day rate is agreed per mandate and has to cover pension, insurance, holidays and gaps between assignments. Alpinum's client rates for freelancing in Germany lie between EUR 720 (junior) and 2,000+ (senior) per day, excl. VAT, as of 18 October 2026. They also include the provider's services.

Do project lawyers earn more than permanent employees?

Not automatically. A day rate is higher than a salary converted to a day, but it includes costs the employer would otherwise carry, plus the risk of idle time. Freelancers with many billable days and scarce expertise can earn more. Those with long gaps between mandates often earn less.

Are holidays paid?

Under staff leasing, yes: you are employed by the staffing provider and have holiday entitlement under your employment contract. As a freelancer, no: days without an assignment generate no revenue. Price holidays, public holidays and sickness into your day rate as non-billable days.

How much does a lawyer earn per hour?

As a guide, these are the hourly rates companies pay Alpinum, excluding VAT, as of 18 October 2026: in Switzerland CHF 75–100 (junior), CHF 100–150 (experienced) and CHF 150–225+ (senior); in Germany EUR 60–180+ under staff leasing and EUR 90–250+ for freelancing, depending on level. These rates also cover the provider's services. Your salary under staff leasing or your own hourly rate as a freelancer is agreed for each assignment.

Next step

Alpinum Solutions is the leading provider of interim legal & compliance in the DACH region and fills project lawyer assignments through staff leasing and freelancing, part time or full time. Register your profile with your experience, practice area, availability and preferred model.

• Careers: legal and compliance jobs and projects
• Calculating your day rate as a freelance lawyer
• Freelance or employed? The decision from the professional's perspective
• For candidates: all guides for legal and compliance professionals

Last updated: 11 November 2026.