Side-by-side distribution
Counsel
$214,525
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.3%
- Live roles
- 1,275
Paralegal
$80,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.7%
- Live roles
- 563
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)
Highest-paying jobs
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal
Litigation Paralegal - Pennsylvania
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal - Detroit
Litigation Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal
Litigation Paralegal - California
Litigation Paralegal - D.C
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 |
|---|---|---|
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$77,500 | 24 |
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $78,520 | 12 |
| WE Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals | $75,000 | 12 |
|
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 11 |
|
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$120,000 | 11 |
Mandarich Law Group, LLP
|
$47,840 | 10 |
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 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $139,200 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $92,500 | 19 |
| New York | $87,750 | 30 |
| Boston | $80,000 | 5 |
| Seattle | $77,020 | 10 |
| Denver | $75,250 | 6 |
| Chicago | $75,000 | 11 |
| Toronto | $74,443 | 5 |
| Austin | $66,580 | 3 |
Counsel vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Counsel is $214,525 per year (typically $181,400–$251,819), versus $80,000 for Paralegal ($67,600–$101,500). That puts Counsel about 168% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Counsel and Paralegal 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.