Side-by-side distribution
General Counsel
$236,694
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 53.4%
- Live roles
- 427
Paralegal
$84,088
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.5%
- Live roles
- 1,281
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Legal Officer
SVP, Deputy General Counsel
General Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Commercial – Infrastructure
Associate General Counsel, Commercial (Silicon)
Senior Director Assistant General Counsel, Privacy
Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel – Market Access Legal
VP of Legal or General Counsel - The Brydon Group
General Counsel
General Counsel
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel – Market Access Legal
Litigation Paralegal - California
Litigation Paralegal - Detroit
Corporate Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Litigation Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal - Pennsylvania
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 5 |
LPL Financial
|
$227,115 | 4 |
| SO State of Oklahoma | $92,795 | 4 |
Higgsfield
|
$285,000 | 3 |
Abridge
|
$260,000 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
Neuberger Berman
|
$250,000 | 3 |
micro1
|
$228,800 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CACI
|
$60,455 | 48 |
Amentum
|
$53,206 | 32 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$77,500 | 24 |
| DP DLA Piper | $114,587 | 23 |
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$127,500 | 12 |
Ballard Spahr
|
$97,500 | 12 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $273,103 | 22 |
| Austin | $269,000 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $233,748 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $233,699 | 16 |
| New York | $232,325 | 54 |
| Boston | $229,381 | 11 |
| Singapore | $228,800 | 3 |
| Denver | $219,350 | 6 |
| Chicago | $214,040 | 17 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $109,375 | 33 |
| Boston | $109,375 | 25 |
| New York | $102,500 | 86 |
| Atlanta | $100,000 | 12 |
| Chicago | $95,000 | 32 |
| Los Angeles | $94,300 | 50 |
| Austin | $90,641 | 6 |
| Seattle | $89,500 | 29 |
| Denver | $72,500 | 9 |
| Toronto | $70,000 | 9 |
General Counsel vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for General Counsel is $236,694 per year (typically $195,450–$280,050), versus $84,088 for Paralegal ($66,790–$105,581). That puts General Counsel about 181% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so General 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.