Legal counsel demographics and statistics in the US
Legal counsel demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal counsel demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal 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 legal counsels after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 70,256 legal counsels currently employed in the United States.
- 45.8% of all legal counsels are women, while 54.2% are men.
- The average legal counsel age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal counsels is White (75.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.9%), Asian (6.5%) and Black or African American (5.6%).
- Legal counsels are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $152,542, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women legal counsels earned 94% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for legal counsels to live.
- Legal counsels are 42% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Legal counsel demographics by:
Legal counsel gender statistics
45.8% of legal counsels are women and 54.2% of legal counsels are men.
- Male, 54.2%
- Female, 45.8%
Legal counsel gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 54.2% |
| Female | 45.8% |
Legal counsel gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$115,842
Female income
$109,183
Legal counsel gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal counsel positions over time. Currently, 45.8% of legal counsels are female.
Legal counsel gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.14% | 38.86% |
| 2011 | 60.36% | 39.64% |
| 2012 | 60.18% | 39.82% |
| 2013 | 59.57% | 40.43% |
| 2014 | 59.47% | 40.53% |
| 2015 | 56.84% | 43.16% |
| 2016 | 56.74% | 43.26% |
| 2017 | 56.85% | 43.15% |
| 2018 | 57.25% | 42.75% |
| 2019 | 56.53% | 43.47% |
| 2020 | 54.65% | 45.35% |
| 2021 | 54.22% | 45.78% |
Legal counsel related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal 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% |
| Legal Counsel | 54% | 46% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Legal counsel demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal counsels is White, which makes up 75.3% of all legal counsels. Comparatively, 7.9% of legal counsels are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of legal counsels are Asian.
- White, 75.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 5.6%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Legal counsel race
| Legal counsel race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Legal counsel race and ethnicity over time
See how legal counsel racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal counsel race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.00% | 5.22% | 4.87% | 6.08% |
| 2011 | 81.78% | 5.53% | 5.02% | 5.91% |
| 2012 | 81.85% | 5.16% | 5.19% | 6.10% |
| 2013 | 81.60% | 5.24% | 5.23% | 5.83% |
| 2014 | 80.94% | 5.74% | 5.46% | 5.97% |
| 2015 | 80.85% | 5.40% | 5.55% | 6.39% |
| 2016 | 80.28% | 5.46% | 5.71% | 6.68% |
| 2017 | 80.31% | 5.44% | 5.68% | 6.45% |
| 2018 | 79.67% | 5.61% | 5.60% | 7.06% |
| 2019 | 79.20% | 5.59% | 5.98% | 7.13% |
| 2020 | 76.68% | 5.50% | 6.29% | 7.28% |
| 2021 | 75.35% | 5.64% | 6.46% | 7.87% |
Legal counsel wage gap by race
According to our data, asian legal counsels have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american legal counsels have the lowest average salary at $110,721.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $114,899 |
| White | $118,068 |
| Black or African American | $110,721 |
| Asian | $123,418 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $112,532 |
Average legal counsel age
See how the average age of legal counsels varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal 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 |
Legal counsel age breakdown
The average age of legal counsels is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the legal counsel population.
Legal counsel age breakdown
| Legal Counsel Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Legal counsel educational attainment
The most common degree for legal counsels is bachelor's degree, with 43% of legal counsels earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 42% and doctoral degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Doctorate, 42%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Legal counsels by degree level
| Legal counsel degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 43% |
| Doctorate | 42% |
| Master's | 12% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Legal counsel jobs you might like
Legal counsel employment statistics
Most legal counsels work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where legal counsels work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal counsels work.
Legal counsel jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 33% |
Legal counsel jobs by company type
Employees with the legal counsel job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal counsels prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Legal counsel jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 38% |
| Private | 42% |
| Government | 11% |
Legal counsel jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal counsels are technology, finance and professional.
Legal counsel industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 14% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Finance | 10% |
| Government | 9% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Education | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Legal counsel turnover and employment statistics
Legal counsel unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal counsels between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal counsel unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal 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 legal counsel tenure
The average legal counsel stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,381 legal counsels resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal counsel tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Legal counsel LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal 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 |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Litigation Assistant | 6.63% | 6,114 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legal Counsel | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar legal counsel jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Litigation Assistant | 6.63% | 6,114 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal counsels
The most common foreign language among legal counsels is Spanish at 40.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.0% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 7.5%.
- Spanish, 40.2%
- French, 15.0%
- Chinese, 7.5%
- Portuguese, 6.9%
- Mandarin, 5.5%
- Other, 24.9%
Legal counsel languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.2% |
| French | 15.0% |
| Chinese | 7.5% |
| Portuguese | 6.9% |
| Mandarin | 5.5% |
| Other | 24.9% |
