Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$93,600
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.8%
- Live roles
- 563
General Counsel
$263,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 61.1%
- Live roles
- 185
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Local Marketing Manager (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)
Campaign Manager (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)
Fractional Growth Product Manager (Part-Time 1099 Contract)
Engineering Manager (fixed term contract)
Contract Lifecycle Manager
Contract Proposal Manager- Department of Defense
Contract Manufacturing Manager
Contract Manager
Contract Technical Sourcing Specialist
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Legal Officer (CLO) ($1M-$5M salary)
General Counsel
Chief Legal Officer
Chief Legal Officer
General Counsel
Deputy General Counsel
Chief Legal Officer (Pacific Northwest or Hybrid) (964-SLS)
Assistant General Counsel, M&A
Associate General Counsel, Product & Commercial
Deputy General Counsel
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Remote
|
$79,425 | 6 |
Handshake
|
$83,200 | 5 |
Esri
|
$126,880 | 4 |
Patreon
|
$186,292 | 3 |
Mindgrub
|
$166,400 | 3 |
Blue State
|
$156,000 | 3 |
VML Enterprise Solutions
|
$60,320 | 3 |
VML
|
$60,320 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
FutureSight
|
$5,988 | 10 |
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 4 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$312,500 | 3 |
| SA Scale AI | $297,900 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
Robinhood
|
$236,000 | 3 |
|
STR
|
$355,000 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $311,345 | 2 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $253,500 | 35 |
| San Francisco | $253,500 | 23 |
| Los Angeles | $233,650 | 9 |
| Boston | $231,345 | 4 |
| Chicago | $214,050 | 7 |
| Austin | $180,000 | 3 |
Contract Manager vs General Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $93,600 per year (typically $75,000–$147,500), versus $263,750 for General Counsel ($214,050–$297,600). That puts General Counsel about 182% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Contract Manager and General 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.