Side-by-side distribution
Compliance
$125,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.1%
- Live roles
- 2,223
Counsel
$204,581
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.3%
- Live roles
- 2,775
Highest-paying jobs
Engineering Manager, Trust & Safety, Surveillance & Compliance
Senior Compliance Officer, Regulatory Reporting
Chief Compliance Officer
Chief Compliance Officer
Engineering Manager, Fraud & Compliance
VP, Chief Compliance Officer
Technical Program Manager, SOX Compliance
Senior Manager, Security & Compliance
Staff Security GRC Analyst
Compliance Officer, Washington
Highest-paying jobs
Employment Counsel [6 Month Contract]
Deputy General Counsel and Vice President, Intellectual Property
Litigation Of Counsel - M&A
Senior Counsel - Trial & Defense
Counsel
Senior Counsel - Trial & Defense
Sr. In-House Counsel
Of Counsel - Litigation (Product Liability)
Sr. In-House Counsel
Data Protection, Privacy and Security Of Counsel (Palo Alto)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TB TD Bank | $117,500 | 22 |
The Symicor Group
|
$90,000 | 13 |
CVS Health
|
$114,152 | 8 |
Transamerica
|
$84,000 | 8 |
Coinbase
|
$211,085 | 7 |
PwC
|
$158,750 | 7 |
Bank of America
|
$146,100 | 7 |
Clark Construction Group
|
$75,000 | 7 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Travelers
|
$147,900 | 46 |
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $175,000 | 32 |
First American
|
$114,000 | 29 |
GEICO
|
$152,725 | 28 |
SpaceX
|
$227,500 | 18 |
Alliance Defending Freedom
|
$179,600 | 18 |
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 17 |
Jackson Lewis
|
$266,250 | 15 |
Compliance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $186,500 | 15 |
| San Francisco | $185,775 | 52 |
| Los Angeles | $156,500 | 17 |
| New York | $154,250 | 110 |
| Boston | $152,900 | 27 |
| Chicago | $145,488 | 48 |
| Austin | $132,875 | 14 |
| Atlanta | $124,350 | 16 |
| Denver | $111,800 | 20 |
| London | $106,316 | 7 |
Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $240,000 | 199 |
| Seattle | $234,463 | 66 |
| Los Angeles | $230,000 | 62 |
| Singapore | $227,500 | 5 |
| New York | $215,500 | 311 |
| Austin | $215,000 | 55 |
| Boston | $209,000 | 59 |
| Chicago | $198,325 | 96 |
| Atlanta | $194,100 | 47 |
| Denver | $185,000 | 43 |
Compliance vs Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Compliance is $125,000 per year (typically $92,625–$162,500), versus $204,581 for Counsel ($167,500–$244,200). That puts Counsel about 64% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Compliance 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.