Side-by-side distribution
Counsel
$204,581
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.3%
- Live roles
- 2,775
General Counsel
$231,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 57.6%
- Live roles
- 415
Highest-paying jobs
Employment Counsel [6 Month Contract]
Deputy General Counsel and Vice President, Intellectual Property
Litigation Of Counsel - M&A
Senior Counsel - Trial & Defense
Senior Counsel - Trial & Defense
Counsel
Of Counsel - Litigation (Product Liability)
Sr. In-House Counsel
Data Protection, Privacy and Security Of Counsel (Palo Alto)
Sr. In-House Counsel
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Legal Officer
Deputy General Counsel and Vice President, Intellectual Property
Divisional Chief Legal Officer West Florida Division
General Counsel, San Francisco Bay Area (1003-SLS)
Associate General Counsel, Commercial – Infrastructure
Sector General Counsel - Global I&S
Assistant General Counsel, Healthcare Compliance and Investigations
Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel – Market Access Legal
VP of Legal or General Counsel - The Brydon Group
General Counsel
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Travelers
|
$147,900 | 46 |
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $175,000 | 32 |
First American
|
$114,000 | 29 |
GEICO
|
$152,725 | 28 |
SpaceX
|
$227,500 | 18 |
Alliance Defending Freedom
|
$179,600 | 18 |
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 17 |
|
Jackson Lewis
|
$266,250 | 15 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 5 |
| CG Cboe Global Markets | $278,438 | 4 |
OKX
|
$250,444 | 4 |
Orchard
|
$242,500 | 4 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$232,900 | 4 |
Coinbase
|
$212,337 | 4 |
|
Solutuslegal
|
$325,000 | 3 |
Roku
|
$270,000 | 3 |
Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $240,000 | 199 |
| Seattle | $234,463 | 66 |
| Los Angeles | $230,000 | 62 |
| Singapore | $227,500 | 5 |
| New York | $215,500 | 311 |
| Austin | $215,000 | 55 |
| Boston | $209,000 | 59 |
| Chicago | $198,325 | 96 |
| Atlanta | $194,100 | 47 |
| Denver | $185,000 | 43 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $270,603 | 28 |
| Los Angeles | $259,000 | 17 |
| Austin | $256,500 | 6 |
| New York | $237,500 | 59 |
| Boston | $235,941 | 12 |
| Denver | $233,750 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $216,006 | 6 |
| Chicago | $214,100 | 17 |
| Toronto | $190,000 | 3 |
Counsel vs General Counsel: which pays more?
The median for Counsel is $204,581 per year (typically $167,500–$244,200), versus $231,000 for General Counsel ($192,518–$273,250). That puts General Counsel about 13% 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.