Help. As noted in this forum, small-firm associate salaries are not readily available (guide me if they are), and I am looking for a raise. Background - I clerked for a year in a Maryland Circuit Court and work in a medium size MD town at a small firm.

I make 60,000, and am on track to bill 1600 hours and am on schedule to bring the firm in $400,000.

The firm provides a great quality of life, and am entirely happy with the place no matter the outcome, but would like to know what I should request for the raise when the time comes.

You only bill 1600 hours per year? What's your working hours like?

Not having any administrative help for the first 5 months was pretty harsh on my total hours. Is 1600 really that low?

I work about 65 hours a week, but much of my time is not billed as the firm encourages attendance for non-billable events, i.e. attending trials for learning instead of billable purposes.

1600 is not too outside the norm, especially outside a large city. That sucks you waste so much time on non-billable stuff. I billed 1950 before the great recession and only worked 50 hours a week. $60K is paultry if you are really bringing in $400K. They bill me out at $325 and paid me $200K until recently (I'm now down to $160 after a salary freeze and then recent haircut). Instead of asking for as straight-up raise, you could also ask to bill more (do less non-billable) and get paid as a result. I also wouldn't push too hard given the economic climate; wait until things start to thaw and then hit them up for a big raise. You likely have little leverage right now. Good luck.