Years of pay freezes for professional staff at the City of Calgary have resulted in a lot of them seeking greener pastures— and more money — elsewhere.

Assistant city solicitor Jill Floen told council on Wednesday that uncompetitive salaries are the key reason so many lawyers are leaving city hall.

"Since 2017, overall we have had a 41 per cent turnover — 80 per cent due to compensation," she said.

"I know that that is feedback that we are receiving directly from our lawyers to their managers when they leave. It's also the information human resources has been compiling through exit interviews."

Non-unionized city staff, such as lawyers, have not had a pay raise in three years and their salaries will stay frozen for 2020.

"If you bring, for example, an articling student, someone fresh out of articles, right at the bottom of our salary grid, they could be practicing for four years with no increase, and, quite frankly, that is a huge problem," Floen said.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he's concerned that the city is having trouble retaining professional staff like lawyers, but also accountants and IT specialists.

He says administration is looking at doing a compensation review in 2020 to ensure the city's pay is competitive and it can attract talented workers.