Side-by-side distribution
General Counsel
$263,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 60.8%
- Live roles
- 186
Paralegal
$81,850
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 42%
- Live roles
- 552
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
Paralegal
Certified Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal
Assistant General Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs - Ad Tech & Media Transactions
Corporate Paralegal
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
FutureSight
|
$5,988 | 10 |
| TT The Trade Desk | $214,050 | 4 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$312,500 | 3 |
| SA Scale AI | $297,900 | 3 |
Fireblocks
|
$257,000 | 3 |
Robinhood
|
$236,000 | 3 |
|
STR
|
$355,000 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $311,345 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
| WE Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals | $75,000 | 16 |
Mandarich Law Group, LLP
|
$52,000 | 11 |
| BJ Brandon J. Broderick | $80,000 | 9 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$91,380 | 8 |
Build My Great Team
|
$67,650 | 8 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$87,500 | 7 |
General Counsel salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $253,500 | 23 |
| New York | $250,000 | 35 |
| Los Angeles | $233,650 | 9 |
| Boston | $231,345 | 4 |
| Chicago | $214,045 | 6 |
| Austin | $180,000 | 3 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $97,500 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $97,000 | 12 |
| Los Angeles | $95,000 | 15 |
| Toronto | $88,021 | 8 |
| Seattle | $87,500 | 13 |
| New York | $85,000 | 38 |
| Chicago | $75,000 | 10 |
| Denver | $72,977 | 7 |
| Austin | $66,580 | 3 |
General Counsel vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for General Counsel is $263,750 per year (typically $213,030–$297,900), versus $81,850 for Paralegal ($66,580–$105,000). That puts General Counsel about 222% 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.