Side-by-side distribution
Counsel
$214,525
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.3%
- Live roles
- 1,275
General Counsel
$262,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 59.5%
- Live roles
- 190
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Legal Counsel
Employment Counsel [6 Month Contract]
Director, Corporate Counsel
Director, Investments Counsel
Senior Counsel, Real Estate
General Counsel
REIT Special Counsel / Senior Associate
Real Estate Associate / Special Counsel (Lender-Side Focus)
Real Estate Senior Associate / Special Counsel ("Dirt" Focus)
Associate General Counsel, Commercial (Silicon)
Highest-paying jobs
General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Commercial (Silicon)
Associate General Counsel, Commercial – Infrastructure
VP of Legal or General Counsel - The Brydon Group
Assistant General Counsel, M&A
General Counsel
Deputy General Counsel
Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Infectious Disease Franchise
Deputy General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Litigation
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 5 |
Tubi
|
$301,150 | 3 |
Higgsfield
|
$285,000 | 3 |
Abridge
|
$260,000 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
Robinhood
|
$236,000 | 3 |
micro1
|
$228,800 | 3 |
|
OpenAI
|
$402,000 | 2 |
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 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $300,000 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $275,000 | 23 |
| New York | $255,250 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | $245,000 | 11 |
| Singapore | $228,800 | 3 |
| Chicago | $219,525 | 6 |
Counsel vs General Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Counsel is $214,525 per year (typically $181,400–$251,819), versus $262,500 for General Counsel ($225,000–$290,000). That puts General Counsel about 22% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Counsel 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.