Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$98,261
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 24.4%
- Live roles
- 581
General Counsel
$265,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 58.3%
- Live roles
- 187
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Fractional Growth Product Manager (Part-Time 1099 Contract)
Principal Product Manager, Search & Contract Understanding
Contract Manager
Senior / Principal Product Manager, Contract Orchestration
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
General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Commercial – Infrastructure
Associate General Counsel, Commercial (Silicon)
VP of Legal or General Counsel - The Brydon Group
General Counsel
Assistant General Counsel, M&A
Deputy General Counsel
Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Infectious Disease Franchise
Deputy General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Litigation
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
|
$86,739 | 3 |
|
Kaizen Labs
|
$205,400 | 2 |
Onebrief
|
$170,250 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 5 |
Higgsfield
|
$285,000 | 3 |
Abridge
|
$260,000 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
micro1
|
$228,800 | 3 |
|
OpenAI
|
$402,000 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $311,345 | 2 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$293,750 | 2 |
Contract Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $189,280 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 11 |
| New York | $150,800 | 17 |
| Los Angeles | $150,800 | 3 |
| Chicago | $114,400 | 3 |
| Toronto | $66,974 | 12 |
| London | $65,423 | 5 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $300,000 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $273,103 | 22 |
| New York | $255,250 | 32 |
| Los Angeles | $239,325 | 10 |
| Singapore | $228,800 | 3 |
| Chicago | $219,525 | 6 |
Contract Manager vs General Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $98,261 per year (typically $67,125–$148,750), versus $265,000 for General Counsel ($223,750–$290,000). That puts General Counsel about 170% 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.