Side-by-side distribution
Counsel
$204,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.3%
- Live roles
- 2,780
Privacy Officer
$196,042
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.3%
- Live roles
- 146
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
Data Protection, Privacy and Security Of Counsel (Palo Alto)
Sr. In-House Counsel
Of Counsel - Litigation (Product Liability)
Sr. In-House Counsel
Highest-paying jobs
Data Protection, Privacy and Security Of Counsel (Palo Alto)
Privacy Counsel
Managing Senior Counsel, Privacy - Caremark
Senior Counsel, Privacy - Blockchain & Digital Assets
Senior Counsel - Privacy, Regulatory & Technology
Senior Privacy & AI Counsel, San Francisco, CA (Hybrid) (963-SLS)
Senior Legal Counsel- Privacy
Associate General Counsel, Privacy & Compliance
Director and Assistant General Counsel, Global Privacy, AI and Cybersecurity
Associate General Counsel, Product & Privacy
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 |
|---|---|---|
Brex
|
$245,000 | 4 |
|
Mastercard
|
$264,500 | 3 |
T-Mobile
|
$172,700 | 3 |
Centene
|
$153,500 | 3 |
Abridge
|
$243,750 | 2 |
Coinbase
|
$223,482 | 2 |
OpenTable
|
$215,000 | 2 |
Premier Inc.
|
$187,500 | 2 |
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 |
Privacy Officer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $245,000 | 19 |
| San Francisco | $245,000 | 14 |
| Seattle | $245,000 | 6 |
| Chicago | $233,650 | 5 |
| London | $137,243 | 3 |
Counsel vs Privacy Officer: which pays more?
The median for Counsel is $204,500 per year (typically $167,500–$244,200), versus $196,042 for Privacy Officer ($159,875–$238,453). That puts Counsel about 4% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Counsel and Privacy Officer 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.