Side-by-side distribution
General Counsel
$265,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 61.5%
- Live roles
- 192
Medical Affairs
$216,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 68.6%
- Live roles
- 105
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Legal Officer (CLO) ($1M-$5M salary)
General Counsel
Chief Legal Officer
Chief Legal Officer
General Counsel
Chief Legal Officer (Pacific Northwest or Hybrid) (964-SLS)
Assistant General Counsel, M&A
Deputy General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Product & Commercial
Deputy General Counsel
Highest-paying jobs
Medical Science Liaison
Senior Director, Regional Field Medical Science Liaison (MSL) West
Senior Medical Science Liaison (MSL) - Respiratory
Senior Medical Science Liaison (MSL) - Dermatology
Director, Medical Science Liaison, Oncology (Dallas, AR, LA, OK, MS)
Director, Medical Science Liaison (Southern Florida, Puerto Rico)
Director, Medical Science Liaison (Northern California, Hawaii)
Director, Medical Science Liaison (MI, WI, MN)
Director, Medical Science Liaison (Northern Florida, GA, SC, AL, MS)
Director, Medical Science Liaison, (NY, Southern Connecticut)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
FutureSight
|
$5,988 | 10 |
| SA Scale AI | $297,900 | 4 |
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 4 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$312,500 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
Robinhood
|
$236,000 | 3 |
|
STR
|
$355,000 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $311,345 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Revolution Medicines
|
$247,500 | 17 |
| AT Axsome Therapeutics | $175,000 | 5 |
Regenxbio
|
$200,000 | 4 |
| PP Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. | $183,750 | 4 |
|
BridgeBio Pharma
|
$230,000 | 3 |
Vor Bio
|
$224,000 | 3 |
Cogent Biosciences
|
$222,500 | 3 |
Oruka Therapeutics
|
$211,000 | 3 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $270,000 | 25 |
| New York | $250,000 | 37 |
| Los Angeles | $243,575 | 10 |
| Boston | $231,345 | 4 |
| Chicago | $214,045 | 6 |
| Austin | $180,000 | 3 |
Medical Affairs salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $175,000 | 3 |
General Counsel vs Medical Affairs: which pays more?
The median for General Counsel is $265,000 per year (typically $214,050–$297,900), versus $216,000 for Medical Affairs ($195,000–$247,500). That puts General Counsel about 23% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so General Counsel and Medical Affairs 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.