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Associate counsel salary
Average associate counsel salary
$139,766
Understanding the Associate Counsel Salary
The average salary for an Associate Counsel stands at $139,766 annually, translating to approximately $67 per hour. This figure reflects the compensation for legal professionals who provide expert advice and representation across various sectors, including corporate law, healthcare, and intellectual property.
Factors impacting salary include geographic location, years of experience, and industry specialization. For example, those working in metropolitan areas typically earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for legal services. Additionally, senior roles often command higher compensation as they require more extensive experience and expertise.
Top-Paying States for Associate Counsel
States such as California, New York, and Texas frequently offer the highest salaries for this position, reflecting the concentration of major law firms and corporate headquarters.
By understanding these dynamics, aspiring legal professionals can better navigate their career paths and seek opportunities that align with their salary expectations and professional goals.
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Where can an Associate Counsel earn more?
Associate counsel salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level associate counsel | $81,100 | $39.00 |
| Mid-level associate counsel | $97,900 | $47.06 |
| Senior-level associate counsel | $205,000 | $98.71 |
Associate counsel salary estimates from across the web
Average associate counsel salary by state
The highest-paying states for associate counsels are California, New York, and Virginia. The lowest average associate counsel salary states are Hawaii, Montana, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for associate counsels
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $166,402 | $80.00 |
| 2 | California | $160,750 | $77.28 |
| 3 | New York | $147,144 | $70.74 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $136,316 | $65.54 |
| 5 | Virginia | $140,703 | $67.65 |
| 6 | Georgia | $134,870 | $64.84 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $134,403 | $64.62 |
| 8 | Michigan | $130,207 | $62.60 |
| 9 | Colorado | $127,850 | $61.47 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $124,813 | $60.01 |
| 11 | Arizona | $126,910 | $61.01 |
| 12 | Nevada | $132,216 | $63.57 |
| 13 | Utah | $124,677 | $59.94 |
| 14 | Vermont | $127,520 | $61.31 |
| 15 | Texas | $118,479 | $56.96 |
| 16 | Washington | $123,220 | $59.24 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $126,010 | $60.58 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $116,316 | $55.92 |
| 19 | Delaware | $120,134 | $57.76 |
| 20 | Illinois | $118,735 | $57.08 |
| 21 | Ohio | $113,778 | $54.70 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $116,906 | $56.20 |
| 23 | Oregon | $116,558 | $56.04 |
| 24 | Indiana | $111,772 | $53.74 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $110,055 | $52.91 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $111,957 | $53.83 |
| 27 | Alabama | $111,846 | $53.77 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $109,894 | $52.83 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $107,584 | $51.72 |
| 30 | Alaska | $117,568 | $56.52 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $109,164 | $52.48 |
| 32 | Iowa | $110,430 | $53.09 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $107,825 | $51.84 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $108,386 | $52.11 |
| 35 | Missouri | $108,066 | $51.95 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $107,135 | $51.51 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $107,831 | $51.84 |
| 38 | Maryland | $107,978 | $51.91 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $108,659 | $52.24 |
| 40 | Kansas | $106,742 | $51.32 |
| 41 | Florida | $99,737 | $47.95 |
| 42 | Idaho | $103,373 | $49.70 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $102,306 | $49.19 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $102,937 | $49.49 |
| 45 | Montana | $98,477 | $47.34 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $103,438 | $49.73 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $76,965 | $37.00 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $96,686 | $46.48 |
| 49 | Maine | $78,667 | $37.82 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $96,811 | $46.54 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $99,709 | $47.94 |
Highest paying cities for associate counsels
The highest-paying cities for associate counsels are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Albany, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $169,534 | $81.51 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $168,722 | $81.12 |
| 3 | Albany, NY | $148,594 | $71.44 |
| 4 | Arlington, VA | $142,560 | $68.54 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $136,749 | $65.74 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $135,671 | $65.23 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $127,932 | $61.51 |
| 8 | Edison, NJ | $126,170 | $60.66 |
| 9 | Olympia, WA | $124,888 | $60.04 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $124,788 | $59.99 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $119,748 | $57.57 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $119,110 | $57.26 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $115,798 | $55.67 |
| 14 | Omaha, NE | $112,443 | $54.06 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $110,194 | $52.98 |
| 16 | Jefferson City, MO | $108,213 | $52.03 |
| 17 | Baltimore, MD | $108,211 | $52.02 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $106,785 | $51.34 |
| 19 | Orlando, FL | $99,872 | $48.02 |
Associate counsel salary details
An associate counsel's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $203,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an associate counsel's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $203,000 | $16,917 | $98 |
| 75th Percentile | $170,000 | $14,167 | $82 |
| Average | $139,766 | $11,647 | $67 |
| 25th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
Highest paying associate counsel jobs
The highest paying types of associate counsels are corporate counsel, assistant general counsel, and legal counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $115,808 | $9,651 | $55.68 | 2,897 |
| Attorney At Law | $108,018 | $9,002 | $51.93 | 7,025 |
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Legal Extern | $47,238 | $3,937 | $22.71 | 10,986 |
Top companies hiring associate counsels now:
Which companies pay associate counsels the most?
Associate counsel salaries at Seyfarth Shaw and Twitter are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate counsel salary at companies like Google and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seyfarth Shaw | $206,934 | $99.49 |
| 2 | $193,091 | $92.83 | |
| 3 | $189,373 | $91.04 | |
| 4 | Amazon | $179,822 | $86.45 |
| 5 | VMware | $179,279 | $86.19 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa High School | $177,328 | $85.25 |
| 7 | Atlassian | $177,200 | $85.19 |
| 8 | Kaiser Permanente | $173,528 | $83.43 |
| 9 | Valero Energy | $171,606 | $82.50 |
| 10 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $163,811 | $78.76 |
| 11 | Credit Karma | $163,794 | $78.75 |
| 12 | Integral Ad Science | $162,319 | $78.04 |
| 13 | Coinbase | $159,162 | $76.52 |
| 14 | Chime | $158,754 | $76.32 |
| 15 | AIG | $158,300 | $76.11 |
| 16 | Darden Restaurants | $157,859 | $75.89 |
| 17 | D.R. Horton | $157,578 | $75.76 |
| 18 | Estée Lauder | $157,126 | $75.54 |
| 19 | Denbury Resources | $157,008 | $75.48 |
| 20 | Zebra Technologies | $156,295 | $75.14 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Associate counsel salary trends
The average associate counsel salary has risen by $14,997 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate counsel earned $124,769 annually, but today, they earn $139,766 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for associate counsels over the last decade.
Compare associate counsel salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average associate counsel salary over time
Compare associate counsel salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Associate counsel salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $140,000 | $67.20 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $135,000 | $65.09 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $133,000 | $64.01 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $131,000 | $63.13 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $130,000 | $62.55 | +2.0% |
Recently added associate counsel salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thriveworks | Licensed Associate Counselor-Hybrid | Cherry Hill, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $45,000 |
| First American Financial | Associate Underwriting Counsel-Remote | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $82,925 |
| Crowell & Moring | Patents Professional Track Associate or Counsel | Fine, NY | 06/29/2025 | $170,000 |
| Crowell & Moring | Patents Professional Track Associate or Counsel | Ione, WA | 06/29/2025 | $170,000 |
| Get It-Finance | Licensed Associate Counselor-Remote-WFH | Short Hills, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $62,610 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | In House Counsel Jobs New York | Jdhuntr 60186 Associate Counsel Claims (Hybrid), ST. L | Saint Louis, MO | 06/29/2025 | $85,600 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | In House Counsel Jobs New York | Jdhuntr 53271 Associate Counsel Employment (Remote) | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $158,900 |
| Vanguard-Ip | Patent Associate, Counsel or Patent Agent (Electrical Engineering) VIP | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $160,000 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | In House Counsel Jobs California | Jdhuntr 59320 Associate Counsel Employment (Remote) | Scottsdale, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $86,450 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | In House Counsel Jobs New York | Jdhuntr 63458 Associate Counsel Commercial (Hybrid) | Kansas City, KS | 06/29/2025 | $100,000 |
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