Corporate counsel demographics and statistics in the US
Corporate counsel demographics research summary. Zippia estimates corporate counsel demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our corporate counsel estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about corporate counsels after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 54,345 corporate counsels currently employed in the United States.
- 40.2% of all corporate counsels are women, while 59.8% are men.
- The average corporate counsel age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of corporate counsels is White (75.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- Corporate counsels are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for corporate counsels.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $172,142, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women corporate counsels earned 96% of what men earned.
- 10% of all corporate counsels are LGBT.
- California is the best state for corporate counsels to live.
- Corporate counsels are 56% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Corporate counsel demographics by:
Corporate counsel gender statistics
40.2% of corporate counsels are women and 59.8% of corporate counsels are men.
- Male, 59.8%
- Female, 40.2%
Corporate counsel gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 59.8% |
| Female | 40.2% |
Corporate counsel gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$128,244
Female income
$122,534
Corporate counsel gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in corporate counsel positions over time. Currently, 40.2% of corporate counsels are female.
Corporate counsel gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.37% | 33.63% |
| 2011 | 65.63% | 34.37% |
| 2012 | 65.46% | 34.54% |
| 2013 | 64.88% | 35.12% |
| 2014 | 64.79% | 35.21% |
| 2015 | 62.28% | 37.72% |
| 2016 | 62.19% | 37.81% |
| 2017 | 62.29% | 37.71% |
| 2018 | 62.68% | 37.32% |
| 2019 | 61.99% | 38.01% |
| 2020 | 60.17% | 39.83% |
| 2021 | 59.76% | 40.24% |
Corporate counsel related jobs gender ratio
We compared corporate counsels with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Corporate Counsel | 60% | 40% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Corporate counsel demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among corporate counsels is White, which makes up 75.9% of all corporate counsels. Comparatively, 7.7% of corporate counsels are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of corporate counsels are Asian.
- White, 75.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Corporate counsel race
| Corporate counsel race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Corporate counsel race and ethnicity over time
See how corporate counsel racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Corporate counsel race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.56% | 5.04% | 4.70% | 5.88% |
| 2011 | 82.33% | 5.35% | 4.86% | 5.72% |
| 2012 | 82.41% | 4.98% | 5.03% | 5.91% |
| 2013 | 82.16% | 5.06% | 5.07% | 5.64% |
| 2014 | 81.50% | 5.56% | 5.30% | 5.78% |
| 2015 | 81.41% | 5.22% | 5.38% | 6.20% |
| 2016 | 80.84% | 5.28% | 5.54% | 6.49% |
| 2017 | 80.87% | 5.26% | 5.51% | 6.26% |
| 2018 | 80.23% | 5.44% | 5.44% | 6.87% |
| 2019 | 79.76% | 5.41% | 5.82% | 6.94% |
| 2020 | 77.24% | 5.32% | 6.13% | 7.09% |
| 2021 | 75.91% | 5.46% | 6.29% | 7.68% |
Corporate counsel wage gap by race
According to our data, asian corporate counsels have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american corporate counsels have the lowest average salary at $123,859.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $127,440 |
| White | $130,136 |
| Black or African American | $123,859 |
| Asian | $134,651 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $125,415 |
Average corporate counsel age
See how the average age of corporate counsels varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Corporate counsel age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Corporate counsel age breakdown
The average age of corporate counsels is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the corporate counsel population.
Corporate counsel age breakdown
| Corporate Counsel Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Corporate counsel educational attainment
The most common degree for corporate counsels is doctoral degree, with 50% of corporate counsels earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 42% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
- Doctorate, 50%
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Master's, 7%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
Corporate counsels by degree level
| Corporate counsel degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 50% |
| Bachelor's | 42% |
| Master's | 7% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 0% |
Corporate counsel jobs you might like
Corporate counsel employment statistics
Most corporate counsels work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where corporate counsels work
Below, you can see the size of companies where corporate counsels work.
Corporate counsel jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 4% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 12% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 37% |
Corporate counsel jobs by company type
Employees with the corporate counsel job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most corporate counsels prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Corporate counsel jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 56% |
| Private | 42% |
| Government | 1% |
Corporate counsel jobs by industry
The most common industries for corporate counsels are technology, manufacturing and professional.
Corporate counsel industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 19% |
| Fortune 500 | 17% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Corporate counsel turnover and employment statistics
Corporate counsel unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for corporate counsels between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Corporate counsel unemployment rate by year
| Year | Corporate counsel unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average corporate counsel tenure
The average corporate counsel stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,066 corporate counsels resumes in Zippia's database.
Corporate counsel tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 10% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Corporate counsel LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of corporate counsels that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Law Clerk | 5.54% | 75,014 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Examiner | 8.14% | 2,994 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Corporate Counsel | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar corporate counsel jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Law Clerk | 5.54% | 75,014 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Examiner | 8.14% | 2,994 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by corporate counsels
The most common foreign language among corporate counsels is Spanish at 34.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.4% and German is the third-most popular at 7.2%.
- Spanish, 34.2%
- French, 16.4%
- German, 7.2%
- Italian, 5.9%
- Chinese, 5.3%
- Other, 31.0%
Corporate counsel languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 34.2% |
| French | 16.4% |
| German | 7.2% |
| Italian | 5.9% |
| Chinese | 5.3% |
| Other | 31.0% |
