Side-by-side distribution
Chief of Staff
$200,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.8%
- Live roles
- 284
Counsel
$214,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 51.4%
- Live roles
- 1,314
Highest-paying jobs
Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
Sr. Staff Program Manager & Chief of Staff, Operations
Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff (Executive Office) and VP of Strategy & Operations
Chief of Staff to the CEO
Chief of Staff to the COO & GM of Marketplace
Chief of Staff Director, Product
Chief of Staff, Product
Chief of Staff, CEO
Highest-paying jobs
Associate Counsel, Corporate
Legal Counsel (corporate / commercial, 3-5 PQE), hybrid/remote
Director, Corporate Counsel
Legal Counsel
General Counsel
REIT Special Counsel / Senior Associate
Real Estate Senior Associate / Special Counsel ("Dirt" Focus)
Real Estate Associate / Special Counsel (Lender-Side Focus)
Estate & Tax Planning Legal Counsel
Estate & Tax Planning Legal Counsel
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Coursera Sourcing
|
$212,040 | 3 |
|
Flex
|
$301,500 | 2 |
|
Checkr
|
$282,250 | 2 |
Sonatus
|
$244,000 | 2 |
Nuro
|
$231,520 | 2 |
EliseAI
|
$212,500 | 2 |
Coursera
|
$212,040 | 2 |
CHAOS Industries
|
$198,750 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $175,000 | 39 |
Fivetran
|
$214,096 | 25 |
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$214,750 | 22 |
Alliance Defending Freedom
|
$159,583 | 12 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$275,000 | 10 |
Crusoe
|
$235,000 | 9 |
Clearway Energy
|
$215,000 | 9 |
Remote
|
$107,725 | 9 |
Chief of Staff salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $300,000 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $220,000 | 19 |
| New York | $200,000 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | $192,500 | 4 |
| Toronto | $128,342 | 3 |
Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $228,275 | 124 |
| Seattle | $225,000 | 25 |
| Boston | $225,000 | 11 |
| New York | $220,000 | 167 |
| Los Angeles | $214,750 | 31 |
| Atlanta | $214,750 | 12 |
| Denver | $214,096 | 49 |
| Chicago | $214,040 | 19 |
| Austin | $193,870 | 14 |
| London | $188,441 | 9 |
Chief of Staff vs Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Chief of Staff is $200,000 per year (typically $161,250–$232,725), versus $214,750 for Counsel ($180,150–$250,000). That puts Counsel about 7% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Chief of Staff and Counsel are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.