Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$97,240
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 24.5%
- Live roles
- 587
Counsel
$214,525
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.3%
- Live roles
- 1,275
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Fractional Growth Product Manager (Part-Time 1099 Contract)
Principal Product Manager, Search & Contract Understanding
Senior / Principal Product Manager, Contract Orchestration
Contract Manager
Government Contracts Administrator (Contract)
Contract Program Manager
Contract Senior Organic Growth Specialist
Physical Security Design Lead and Contract Document Specialist
Senior Project Manager, MEP & Commissioning (Contract)
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Legal Counsel
Employment Counsel [6 Month Contract]
Director, Corporate Counsel
Director, Investments Counsel
General Counsel
Senior Counsel, Real Estate
Real Estate Associate / Special Counsel (Lender-Side Focus)
REIT Special Counsel / Senior Associate
Real Estate Senior Associate / Special Counsel ("Dirt" Focus)
Associate General Counsel, Commercial (Silicon)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Remote
|
$59,804 | 7 |
Esri
|
$92,716 | 6 |
|
PlayStation Global
|
$183,040 | 3 |
Peregrine Technologies
|
$170,000 | 3 |
Blue State
|
$156,000 | 3 |
Geotab
|
$86,351 | 3 |
|
Kaizen Labs
|
$205,400 | 2 |
Onebrief
|
$170,250 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $175,000 | 32 |
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 18 |
Brex
|
$245,000 | 16 |
Alliance Defending Freedom
|
$212,500 | 13 |
|
Anthropic
|
$300,000 | 12 |
Crusoe
|
$245,500 | 11 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$275,000 | 10 |
DigitalOcean
|
$216,450 | 10 |
Contract Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $189,280 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 11 |
| Los Angeles | $150,800 | 3 |
| New York | $149,150 | 18 |
| Chicago | $114,400 | 3 |
| London | $65,423 | 5 |
| Toronto | $64,813 | 13 |
Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $245,000 | 150 |
| Seattle | $243,250 | 40 |
| Singapore | $234,000 | 8 |
| Dublin | $226,962 | 3 |
| New York | $222,000 | 185 |
| Los Angeles | $217,025 | 26 |
| Chicago | $215,775 | 22 |
| Austin | $215,000 | 14 |
| Boston | $202,500 | 17 |
| Denver | $198,750 | 18 |
Contract Manager vs Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $97,240 per year (typically $66,750–$147,300), versus $214,525 for Counsel ($181,400–$251,819). That puts Counsel about 121% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Contract Manager 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.