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General counsel salary
Average general counsel salary
$125,248
Average General Counsel Salary
The average salary for a General Counsel, as reported in October 2025, stands at $125,248 per year, equating to approximately $60 per hour. This salary reflects the legal expertise and strategic role these professionals play in organizations.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors influence a General Counsel's salary:
- Experience: More experienced General Counsels typically earn higher salaries.
- Location: Salaries can differ by state, with some regions offering significantly more.
- Industry: Certain sectors, such as finance and technology, tend to compensate their General Counsels better.
Where Can a General Counsel Earn More?
In states like California and New York, General Counsels often command higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for legal expertise. Understanding these variables can help aspiring General Counsels make informed career decisions and seek opportunities in high-paying locations.
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Where can a General Counsel earn more?
General counsel salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level general counsel | $72,700 | $34.95 |
| Mid-level general counsel | $87,700 | $42.17 |
| Senior-level general counsel | $184,000 | $88.46 |
General counsel salary estimates from across the web
Average general counsel salary by state
The highest-paying states for general counsels are California, New York, and Colorado. The lowest average general counsel salary states are Kansas, Missouri, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for general counsels
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $146,919 | $70.63 |
| 2 | New York | $136,511 | $65.63 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $133,331 | $64.10 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $126,253 | $60.70 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $118,307 | $56.88 |
| 6 | Colorado | $129,744 | $62.38 |
| 7 | Washington | $112,471 | $54.07 |
| 8 | Virginia | $120,379 | $57.87 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $105,846 | $50.89 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $107,047 | $51.46 |
| 11 | Vermont | $109,229 | $52.51 |
| 12 | Maine | $103,791 | $49.90 |
| 13 | Illinois | $110,198 | $52.98 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $97,019 | $46.64 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $116,303 | $55.91 |
| 16 | Maryland | $118,154 | $56.80 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $105,194 | $50.57 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $112,636 | $54.15 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $100,833 | $48.48 |
| 20 | Delaware | $95,213 | $45.78 |
| 21 | Utah | $97,362 | $46.81 |
| 22 | Oregon | $95,723 | $46.02 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $98,408 | $47.31 |
| 24 | Texas | $95,495 | $45.91 |
| 25 | Nevada | $98,610 | $47.41 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $96,556 | $46.42 |
| 27 | Michigan | $95,494 | $45.91 |
| 28 | Georgia | $95,819 | $46.07 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $89,450 | $43.00 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $88,561 | $42.58 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $90,972 | $43.74 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $94,920 | $45.63 |
| 33 | Iowa | $93,600 | $45.00 |
| 34 | Arizona | $88,623 | $42.61 |
| 35 | Florida | $87,462 | $42.05 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $88,602 | $42.60 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $87,427 | $42.03 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $86,832 | $41.75 |
| 39 | Idaho | $76,325 | $36.69 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $85,286 | $41.00 |
| 41 | Montana | $86,934 | $41.80 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $91,291 | $43.89 |
| 43 | Ohio | $81,525 | $39.19 |
| 44 | Alaska | $87,995 | $42.31 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $72,383 | $34.80 |
| 46 | Alabama | $82,592 | $39.71 |
| 47 | Missouri | $78,058 | $37.53 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $82,733 | $39.78 |
| 49 | Kansas | $80,308 | $38.61 |
| 50 | Indiana | $73,711 | $35.44 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $69,280 | $33.31 |
Highest paying cities for general counsels
The highest-paying cities for general counsels are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $155,886 | $74.95 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $139,196 | $66.92 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $135,494 | $65.14 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $131,288 | $63.12 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $127,112 | $61.11 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $122,091 | $58.70 |
| 7 | Annapolis, MD | $118,895 | $57.16 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $112,930 | $54.29 |
| 9 | Jackson, MS | $112,504 | $54.09 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $110,915 | $53.32 |
| 11 | Concord, NH | $106,899 | $51.39 |
| 12 | Framingham, MA | $105,513 | $50.73 |
| 13 | Portland, ME | $104,815 | $50.39 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $98,846 | $47.52 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $97,800 | $47.02 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $96,733 | $46.51 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $96,267 | $46.28 |
| 18 | Lansing, MI | $95,474 | $45.90 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $94,782 | $45.57 |
| 20 | Charleston, WV | $94,403 | $45.39 |
General counsel salary details
A general counsel's salary ranges from $75,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $208,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a general counsel's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $208,000 | $17,333 | $100 |
| 75th Percentile | $163,000 | $13,583 | $78 |
| Average | $125,248 | $10,437 | $60 |
| 25th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
Highest paying general counsel jobs
The highest paying types of general counsels are corporate counsel, assistant general counsel, and associate counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Lawyer | $115,808 | $9,651 | $55.68 | 2,897 |
| Attorney At Law | $108,018 | $9,002 | $51.93 | 7,025 |
| Legal Extern | $47,238 | $3,937 | $22.71 | 10,986 |
Which companies pay general counsels the most?
General counsel salaries at Martin's Point Health Care and FullContact are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average general counsel salary at companies like Sun-Mar and Alliance Physical Therapy Partners are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin's Point Health Care | $170,697 | $82.07 |
| 2 | FullContact | $169,091 | $81.29 |
| 3 | Sun-Mar | $167,875 | $80.71 |
| 4 | Alliance Physical Therapy Partners | $164,817 | $79.24 |
| 5 | Guild Education | $162,732 | $78.24 |
| 6 | Mitsui & Co. | $162,682 | $78.21 |
| 7 | Anheuser-Busch | $162,202 | $77.98 |
| 8 | New York City Independent Budget Office | $159,589 | $76.73 |
| 9 | Aspiration | $158,006 | $75.96 |
| 10 | USAA | $157,144 | $75.55 |
| 11 | Boyd | $154,804 | $74.42 |
| 12 | Low Income Investment Fund | $154,731 | $74.39 |
| 13 | San Diego International Airport | $153,023 | $73.57 |
| 14 | MarketStar | $152,442 | $73.29 |
| 15 | SAS Institute | $152,002 | $73.08 |
| 16 | American Achievement Group Holding Corp | $150,327 | $72.27 |
| 17 | Presto Products | $148,259 | $71.28 |
| 18 | REC Silicon | $148,165 | $71.23 |
| 19 | Cudd Energy Services | $148,011 | $71.16 |
| 20 | International Monetary Fund | $146,251 | $70.31 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
General counsel salary trends
The average general counsel salary has risen by $13,439 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average general counsel earned $111,809 annually, but today, they earn $125,248 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for general counsels over the last decade.
Compare general counsel salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average general counsel salary over time
Compare general counsel salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
General counsel salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $125,000 | $60.22 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $121,000 | $58.33 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $119,000 | $57.36 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $118,000 | $56.57 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $117,000 | $56.06 | +2.0% |
Recently added general counsel salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon Engineering | Legal Coordinator To The Office of General Counsel | Day, NY | 06/30/2025 | $65,741 |
| State of South Dakota | Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources General Counsel | Pierre, SD | 06/30/2025 | $85,000 |
| Get It-Executive | General Counsel-Remote | WFH | Pojoaque, NM | 06/29/2025 | $85,000 |
| Wilson Elser-Attorneys | General Liability of Counsel | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $190,000 |
| Capps | TEC-General Counsel) | Austin, TX | 06/29/2025 | $154,080 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | General Counsel Jobs Jdhuntr 60087 Counsel, Corporate & Securities (Remote), Chicago, I | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $98,350 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | General Counsel Jobs Jdhuntr 54007 Manager Contract Administration 2 (Hybrid) | Huntsville, AL | 06/29/2025 | $111,100 |
| Jdhuntr In-House Jobs | General Counsel Remote USA | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $228,000 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | General Counsel Jobs Jdhuntr 56293 Counsel, Intellectual Property, Trademarks(Hybrid) | Stamford, CT | 06/29/2025 | $125,000 |
| In House Jobs | Jdhuntr | General Counsel Jobs Jdhuntr 55544 Counsel Securities (Hybrid), New | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $150,000 |
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