Side-by-side distribution
Compliance
$138,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 38.1%
- Live roles
- 712
Counsel
$214,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 51.8%
- Live roles
- 1,286
Highest-paying jobs
Regulatory & Security Compliance Manager
Compliance Analyst
Compliance Advisory Manager
Senior GRC Analyst
Chief Compliance Officer
Engineering Manager, GRC Platform
Engineering Manager, Fraud & Compliance
Chief Compliance Officer
Senior Manager, GRC Subject Matter Experts, Product
GRC Program Manager, US Government Compliance
Highest-paying jobs
Legal Counsel (corporate / commercial, 3-5 PQE), hybrid/remote
Director, Corporate Counsel
Legal Counsel
General Counsel
Antitrust and Competition Associate / Special Counsel
REIT Special Counsel / Senior Associate
Real Estate Associate / Special Counsel (Lender-Side Focus)
Real Estate Senior Associate / Special Counsel ("Dirt" Focus)
Estate & Tax Planning Legal Counsel
Estate & Tax Planning Legal Counsel
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The Symicor Group
|
$90,000 | 13 |
Coinbase
|
$185,833 | 6 |
Harvey
|
$234,500 | 4 |
iCapital
|
$162,500 | 4 |
Remote
|
$136,178 | 4 |
Whoop
|
$135,000 | 4 |
City Wide Facility Solutions
|
$46,800 | 4 |
Block
|
$214,700 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $175,000 | 39 |
Fivetran
|
$214,096 | 23 |
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$214,750 | 20 |
Alliance Defending Freedom
|
$159,583 | 12 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$275,000 | 10 |
Crusoe
|
$235,000 | 9 |
Clearway Energy
|
$215,000 | 9 |
|
Harvey
|
$237,500 | 8 |
Compliance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $182,575 | 14 |
| San Francisco | $176,654 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | $145,500 | 10 |
| New York | $145,000 | 44 |
| Boston | $134,968 | 10 |
| Denver | $110,640 | 7 |
| Chicago | $102,500 | 7 |
| Toronto | $87,500 | 5 |
| London | $74,011 | 8 |
Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $228,275 | 126 |
| New York | $222,184 | 165 |
| Seattle | $220,000 | 26 |
| Boston | $219,875 | 12 |
| Los Angeles | $214,750 | 29 |
| Atlanta | $214,750 | 12 |
| Denver | $214,096 | 46 |
| Chicago | $214,050 | 19 |
| Austin | $195,000 | 17 |
| Dublin | $189,072 | 4 |
Compliance vs Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Compliance is $138,750 per year (typically $97,500–$172,000), versus $214,750 for Counsel ($178,500–$250,000). That puts Counsel about 55% 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.