How much does a corporate counsel make?

The average corporate counsel salary in the United States is $142,515. Corporate counsel salaries typically range between $98,000 and $207,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for corporate counsels is $68.52 per hour. Corporate counsel salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Corporate counsels earn the highest average salary in California.

Corporate counsel salary

Q: What state pays Corporate Counsels the most?

California pays Corporate Counsels the most in the United States, with an average salary of $163,635 per year, or $78.67 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a corporate counsel?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a corporate counsel if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in District of Columbia you should be paid close to $154,140 per year.

Q: How much do corporate counsels make?

Corporate counsels make, on average, $121,000 a year ($58.65 an hour). There is a considerable range in how much a corporate counsel can make, starting from as little as $76,000 a year to as much as $195,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a corporate lawyer can make.

Q: How much do corporate lawyers make at most?

Corporate lawyers make at most between $150,000 to $200,000 a year. The average corporate lawyer salary is $111,078 a year. Factors such as years of experience, the size of the corporation, and location impact how much a corporate lawyer can make.

Q: How much does counsel at a law firm make?

A counsel at a law firm makes, on average, $190,368 a year. However, this can range from as little as $101,000 a year to as much as $840,000 a year. At a big law firm, the median for a counsel position is around $600,000 a year. Factors that impact how much a counsel can make at a law firm include years of experience, the type of law firm, and the location.

Q: What type of lawyers make the most money?

The type of lawyers that make the most money is corporate counsel. As the top legal officer of the corporation, the General counsel oversees litigation and enforces corporate compliance, and earns an average median salary of $2.8 billion, according to a recent Equilar report.

Average corporate counsel salary

$142,515

$68.52 hourly rate

Entry-level corporate counsel salary

$98,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Corporate Counsel Salaries

The role of a Corporate Counsel is pivotal in safeguarding a company's legal integrity. As of October 2025, the average salary is $142,515 annually. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience, geographical location, and the industry sector. For instance, those in high-demand regions or specialized fields may command higher compensations.

Factors Affecting Salary

Experience plays a crucial role in determining earnings. Entry-level Corporate Counsels can expect lower salaries, while those with substantial experience may earn upwards of $200,000. Additionally, corporate counsels working in industries like finance or technology often receive higher salaries compared to those in non-profit sectors.

Highest Paying States

States such as California, New York, and Texas consistently rank among the highest for Corporate Counsel salaries. These states not only offer competitive salaries but also a diverse range of industries, providing ample opportunities for legal professionals.

Career Advancement

The demand for Corporate Counsels is on the rise, with many firms seeking skilled legal professionals to navigate complex regulations. This presents an excellent opportunity for individuals aiming to advance their careers in corporate law.

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Corporate counsel salary by:

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Where can a Corporate Counsel earn more?

Compare salary by location

185k

165k

145k

125k

105k

85k

Columbus, OH$172,142

Lincoln, NE$114,856

Compare salary by company

227k

207k

187k

167k

147k

Perkins Coie$208,260

Slalom$176,972

Corporate counsel salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level corporate counsel	$82,700	$39.76
Mid-level corporate counsel	$99,800	$47.99
Senior-level corporate counsel	$209,000	$100.65

Corporate counsel salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a corporate counsel typically falls between $128,897 and $230,331.

zippia

$142,515yearly

glassdoor[1]

$230,331yearly

comparably[2]

$206,242yearly

Salary.com[3]

$170,846yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$146,000yearly

payscale[5]

$130,776yearly

SalaryExpert[6]

$128,897yearly

Average corporate counsel salary by state

The highest-paying states for corporate counsels are California, New York, and Massachusetts. The lowest average corporate counsel salary states are New Mexico, Kentucky, and Montana.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for corporate counsels

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$163,635	$78.67
2	New York	$146,733	$70.54
3	Massachusetts	$140,540	$67.57
4	Illinois	$136,780	$65.76
5	District of Columbia	$154,140	$74.11
6	Utah	$127,738	$61.41
7	Virginia	$137,262	$65.99
8	Connecticut	$136,623	$65.68
9	Washington	$131,272	$63.11
10	Nevada	$125,922	$60.54
11	Colorado	$131,163	$63.06
12	Vermont	$130,400	$62.69
13	Texas	$123,207	$59.23
14	Pennsylvania	$122,003	$58.66
15	Georgia	$123,222	$59.24
16	Minnesota	$124,569	$59.89
17	North Carolina	$120,724	$58.04
18	Delaware	$122,033	$58.67
19	Ohio	$118,226	$56.84
20	Oregon	$123,300	$59.28
21	New Jersey	$124,554	$59.88
22	West Virginia	$118,984	$57.20
23	Missouri	$119,130	$57.27
24	Michigan	$115,320	$55.44
25	Arizona	$116,393	$55.96
26	Tennessee	$114,942	$55.26
27	Maryland	$122,531	$58.91
28	Rhode Island	$118,245	$56.85
29	Indiana	$114,172	$54.89
30	Alaska	$122,662	$58.97
31	Wisconsin	$111,866	$53.78
32	Nebraska	$114,967	$55.27
33	Wyoming	$112,379	$54.03
34	Alabama	$114,045	$54.83
35	Florida	$110,110	$52.94
36	Iowa	$112,832	$54.25
37	North Dakota	$110,223	$52.99
38	New Hampshire	$110,349	$53.05
39	Kansas	$109,536	$52.66
40	Oklahoma	$109,715	$52.75
41	South Carolina	$110,209	$52.99
42	Louisiana	$109,992	$52.88
43	Maine	$107,579	$51.72
44	Kentucky	$104,365	$50.18
45	South Dakota	$105,605	$50.77
46	Idaho	$106,421	$51.16
47	Arkansas	$81,955	$39.40
48	Montana	$101,344	$48.72
49	New Mexico	$105,055	$50.51
50	Hawaii	$101,116	$48.61
51	Mississippi	$98,768	$47.48

Top corporate counsel jobs near you

Highest paying cities for corporate counsels

The highest-paying cities for corporate counsels are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$172,142	$82.76
2	Washington, DC	$155,502	$74.76
3	New York, NY	$147,436	$70.88
4	Boston, MA	$141,074	$67.82
5	Arlington, VA	$138,815	$66.74
6	Chicago, IL	$137,462	$66.09
7	Seattle, WA	$132,429	$63.67
8	Littleton, CO	$131,399	$63.17
9	Salt Lake City, UT	$127,522	$61.31
10	Newark, NJ	$124,722	$59.96
11	Austin, TX	$124,603	$59.91
12	Minneapolis, MN	$124,504	$59.86
13	Alpharetta, GA	$124,158	$59.69
14	Harrisburg, PA	$122,011	$58.66
15	Dover, DE	$121,843	$58.58
16	Raleigh, NC	$121,549	$58.44
17	Providence, RI	$118,302	$56.88
18	Columbus, OH	$117,966	$56.71
19	Phoenix, AZ	$116,600	$56.06
20	Lincoln, NE	$114,856	$55.22

Corporate counsel salary details

A corporate counsel's salary ranges from $98,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $207,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average corporate counsel salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a corporate counsel's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$207,000	$17,250	$100
75th Percentile	$173,000	$14,417	$83
Average	$142,515	$11,876	$69
25th Percentile	$117,000	$9,750	$56
10th Percentile	$98,000	$8,167	$47

Highest paying corporate counsel jobs

The highest paying types of corporate counsels are assistant general counsel, associate 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
Legal Administrator	$47,198	$3,933	$22.69	56,419
Attorney	$109,476	$9,123	$52.63	10,991
Legal Extern	$47,238	$3,937	$22.71	10,986

Top companies hiring corporate counsels now:

Which companies pay corporate counsels the most?

Corporate counsel salaries at Perkins Coie and Waymo are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average corporate counsel salary at companies like DoorDash and Meta are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Perkins Coie	$208,260	$100.13
2	Waymo	$199,429	$95.88
3	DoorDash	$198,230	$95.30
4	Meta	$197,547	$94.97
5	Bloomberg	$190,049	$91.37
6	Google	$189,677	$91.19
7	Chewy	$189,341	$91.03
8	Match Group	$188,322	$90.54
9	Zendesk	$183,557	$88.25
10	Amazon	$182,698	$87.84
11	Palo Alto Networks	$182,620	$87.80
12	Fortinet	$181,106	$87.07
13	Medallia	$180,524	$86.79
14	VMware	$178,999	$86.06
15	Shiseido	$177,990	$85.57
16	Expedia Group	$177,884	$85.52
17	Cisco	$177,179	$85.18
18	Bed Bath & Beyond	$177,134	$85.16
19	Arrow Electronics	$176,975	$85.08
20	Slalom	$176,972	$85.08

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$129,000$127,600$126,200$124,800$123,400$122,000

MaleFemale

Corporate Counsel salary by industry

The average corporate counsel salary varies across industries:

The average corporate counsel salary in the technology industry is $155,816, the highest of any industry.
The average corporate counsel salary in the finance industry is $141,182.
Corporate counsels in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $133,539, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for corporate counsels

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Technology	$155,816	$74.91
2	Professional	$141,182	$67.88
3	Telecommunication	$139,036	$66.84
4	Finance	$138,060	$66.38
5	Manufacturing	$133,539	$64.20

High paying corporate counsel jobs

Corporate counsel salary trends

The average corporate counsel salary has risen by $15,292 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average corporate counsel earned $127,223 annually, but today, they earn $142,515 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for corporate counsels over the last decade.

Compare corporate counsel salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average corporate counsel salary over time

Compare corporate counsel salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Corporate counsel salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$143,000	$68.52	+3.1%
2024	$138,000	$66.37	+1.7%
2023	$136,000	$65.27	+1.4%
2022	$134,000	$64.37	+0.9%
2021	$133,000	$63.78	+2.0%

Recently added corporate counsel salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Exelixis	Senior Corporate Counsel, Corporate & Securities	Alameda, CA	06/30/2025	$222,000
Ardent Mills	Associate Corporate Counsel (Hybrid)	Denver, CO	06/30/2025	$100,600
Aresmgmt	Counsel, Corporate	New York, NY	06/30/2025	$235,000
Nutanix	Senior Corporate Counsel	San Jose, CA	06/29/2025	$160,000
Nutanix	Senior Corporate Counsel	Durham, NC	06/29/2025	$160,000
Williams Sonoma	Corporate Counsel	San Francisco, CA	06/29/2025	$150,000
Fanatics	Corporate Counsel	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$225,000
Playstation	Corporate Counsel, IP Litigation	San Mateo, CA	06/29/2025	$209,800
Carta	Senior Corporate Counsel, Fund Administration Compliance	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$222,400
Get It-Finance	Senior Corporate Counsel-Privacy-Remote \| WFH	Atlanta, GA	06/29/2025	$166,960