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The average salary for an Assistant Counsel is approximately $61,229 annually, equating to about $29 per hour. This figure reflects salaries across various industries, including legal firms and corporate settings. Factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific field can significantly influence earnings.
Salaries can vary widely depending on geographical location. States like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries, often exceeding the national average. The highest paying cities for this role include San Francisco, New York City, and Washington D.C., where demand for legal professionals is robust.
Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level Assistant Counsels typically earn less than their more experienced counterparts. As professionals advance in their careers, they can expect their salaries to increase significantly, reflecting their growing expertise and contributions to their organizations.
Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone considering a career as an Assistant Counsel. By researching salary trends and opportunities, you can better position yourself in the job market.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level assistant counsel | $35,500 | $17.08 |
| Mid-level assistant counsel | $42,900 | $20.62 |
| Senior-level assistant counsel | $89,900 | $43.24 |
The highest-paying states for assistant counsels are New York, California, and Massachusetts. The lowest average assistant counsel salary states are Oklahoma, Kansas, and Idaho.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $110,004 | $52.89 |
| 2 | New York | $96,136 | $46.22 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $83,904 | $40.34 |
| 4 | California | $88,537 | $42.57 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $70,672 | $33.98 |
| 6 | Virginia | $79,417 | $38.18 |
| 7 | Maine | $72,306 | $34.76 |
| 8 | Colorado | $70,158 | $33.73 |
| 9 | Vermont | $75,052 | $36.08 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $73,747 | $35.46 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $72,881 | $35.04 |
| 12 | Maryland | $76,249 | $36.66 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $62,652 | $30.12 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $70,219 | $33.76 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $64,930 | $31.22 |
| 16 | Washington | $61,978 | $29.80 |
| 17 | Illinois | $62,909 | $30.24 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $66,417 | $31.93 |
| 19 | Georgia | $60,031 | $28.86 |
| 20 | Delaware | $63,487 | $30.52 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $66,756 | $32.09 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $66,097 | $31.78 |
| 23 | Michigan | $62,392 | $30.00 |
| 24 | Nevada | $56,777 | $27.30 |
| 25 | Arizona | $57,016 | $27.41 |
| 26 | Texas | $57,013 | $27.41 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $58,754 | $28.25 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $58,012 | $27.89 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $55,413 | $26.64 |
| 30 | Florida | $55,933 | $26.89 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $57,570 | $27.68 |
| 32 | Utah | $54,675 | $26.29 |
| 33 | Iowa | $57,873 | $27.82 |
| 34 | Ohio | $54,216 | $26.07 |
| 35 | Oregon | $51,777 | $24.89 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $53,637 | $25.79 |
| 37 | Alaska | $47,505 | $22.84 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $51,098 | $24.57 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $50,354 | $24.21 |
| 40 | Indiana | $48,985 | $23.55 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $37,031 | $17.80 |
| 42 | Alabama | $52,008 | $25.00 |
| 43 | Montana | $33,990 | $16.34 |
| 44 | Missouri | $47,485 | $22.83 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $48,468 | $23.30 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $47,904 | $23.03 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $49,976 | $24.03 |
| 48 | Idaho | $39,502 | $18.99 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $45,496 | $21.87 |
| 50 | Kansas | $43,466 | $20.90 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $38,686 | $18.60 |
The highest-paying cities for assistant counsels are Washington, DC, Mamaroneck, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $110,835 | $53.29 |
| 2 | Mamaroneck, NY | $96,451 | $46.37 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $92,045 | $44.25 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $83,944 | $40.36 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $76,582 | $36.82 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $70,090 | $33.70 |
| 7 | Harrisburg, PA | $70,060 | $33.68 |
| 8 | Elizabeth, NJ | $66,479 | $31.96 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $62,381 | $29.99 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $59,894 | $28.80 |
| 11 | Des Moines, IA | $56,990 | $27.40 |
| 12 | Miami, FL | $56,810 | $27.31 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $55,323 | $26.60 |
| 14 | Chattanooga, TN | $54,040 | $25.98 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $53,522 | $25.73 |
| 16 | Madison, AL | $52,258 | $25.12 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $48,499 | $23.32 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City, OK | $45,504 | $21.88 |
An assistant counsel's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $103,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| Average | $61,229 | $5,102 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
The highest paying types of assistant counsels are corporate counsel, assistant general counsel, and associate counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Extern | $47,238 | $3,937 | $22.71 | 10,986 |
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Attorney At Law | $108,018 | $9,002 | $51.93 | 7,025 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Student Support Counselor | $41,329 | $3,444 | $19.87 | 134,839 |
Assistant counsel salaries at Baltimore City Public Schools and Ventura County Community Foundation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant counsel salary at companies like Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership and PSEG are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $93,009 | $44.72 |
| 2 | Ventura County Community Foundation | $91,375 | $43.93 |
| 3 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $87,992 | $42.30 |
| 4 | PSEG | $87,721 | $42.17 |
| 5 | KPMG LLP | $82,744 | $39.78 |
| 6 | Virginia Housing Development Authority | $81,284 | $39.08 |
| 7 | City of Baltimore | $77,383 | $37.20 |
| 8 | Friends School of Baltimore | $77,300 | $37.16 |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $74,876 | $36.00 |
| 10 | Georgetown University | $70,571 | $33.93 |
| 11 | Caithness Energy | $70,462 | $33.88 |
| 12 | New York State Restaurant Association | $70,227 | $33.76 |
| 13 | United States Courts | $70,171 | $33.74 |
| 14 | Stem Holdings | $69,131 | $33.24 |
| 15 | Fresenius Medical Care Windsor, LLC | $69,127 | $33.23 |
| 16 | KeyBank | $68,762 | $33.06 |
| 17 | University of California | $68,720 | $33.04 |
| 18 | MetLife | $67,848 | $32.62 |
| 19 | Eastern Kentucky University | $66,426 | $31.94 |
| 20 | The Walt Disney Company | $64,173 | $30.85 |
The average assistant counsel salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $70,495 | $33.89 |
| 2 | Insurance | $60,551 | $29.11 |
| 3 | Health Care | $50,452 | $24.26 |
| 4 | Education | $49,958 | $24.02 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $43,377 | $20.85 |
The average assistant counsel salary has risen by $6,570 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant counsel earned $54,659 annually, but today, they earn $61,229 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for assistant counsels over the last decade.
Compare assistant counsel salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare assistant counsel salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,200 | $29.44 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $59,300 | $28.52 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $58,300 | $28.04 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $57,500 | $27.66 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $57,000 | $27.40 | +2.0% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State Executive Chamber | Assistant Counsel for Labor | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $170,000 |
| State of Florida | Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Middle-Assistant Capital Collateral Counsel I | Tampa, FL | 06/23/2025 | $89,000 |
| State of New York | Assistant Counsel (Working Title: Associate Counsel) | Albany, NY | 06/13/2025 | $115,283 |
| Bitwise Solutions Inc. | Assistant Counsel | San Francisco, CA | 06/12/2025 | $150,000 |
| Hologic | Assistant IP Counsel | Marlborough, MA | 06/10/2025 | $149,400 |
| State of Virginia | Attorney-Assistant Ethics Counsel | Richmond, VA | 06/04/2025 | $95,000 |
| State of Illinois | Assistant Chief Counsel (Technical Advisor V) | Kane, IL | 05/31/2025 | $73,140 |
| Yamhill County, or | Assistant County Counsel II | McMinnville, OR | 05/29/2025 | $98,853 |
| Multiplan Inc. | Assistant Counsel | Bedford, MA | 05/23/2025 | $115,000 |
| State of New York | Assistant Counsel (Buffalo Location), Box OP, OP | Buffalo, NY | 05/22/2025 | $123,793 |
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