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Legal department manager salary
Average legal department manager salary
$66,307
Understanding Legal Department Manager Salaries
The average salary for a Legal Department Manager stands at $66,307 per year, or approximately $32 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, level of experience, and specific industry sector.
For instance, certain states and cities offer higher salaries due to demand and cost of living adjustments. California and New York often rank among the highest-paying locations for legal professionals. Moreover, those with extensive experience or specialized skills in compliance or regulatory frameworks may command higher salaries within this role.
As a Legal Department Manager, you play a crucial role in overseeing legal operations, ensuring compliance, and managing legal risks. This position not only requires strong legal knowledge but also excellent managerial skills.
Exploring salary trends by state can provide valuable insights into where to pursue job opportunities. Resources like Zippia can assist in comparing salaries across different regions, helping you make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Legal Department Manager earn more?
Legal department manager salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level legal department manager | $38,500 | $18.50 |
| Mid-level legal department manager | $46,400 | $22.33 |
| Senior-level legal department manager | $97,400 | $46.83 |
Average legal department manager salary by state
The highest-paying states for legal department managers are Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average legal department manager salary states are Montana, Maine, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for legal department managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $97,521 | $46.89 |
| 2 | New York | $103,143 | $49.59 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $94,794 | $45.57 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $83,275 | $40.04 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $108,760 | $52.29 |
| 6 | Maryland | $83,903 | $40.34 |
| 7 | Virginia | $85,959 | $41.33 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $78,839 | $37.90 |
| 9 | Michigan | $77,401 | $37.21 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $78,255 | $37.62 |
| 11 | California | $92,457 | $44.45 |
| 12 | Illinois | $79,958 | $38.44 |
| 13 | Ohio | $74,979 | $36.05 |
| 14 | Vermont | $81,991 | $39.42 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $71,131 | $34.20 |
| 16 | Delaware | $79,562 | $38.25 |
| 17 | Nevada | $78,381 | $37.68 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $73,506 | $35.34 |
| 19 | Alaska | $68,811 | $33.08 |
| 20 | Washington | $72,100 | $34.66 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $71,608 | $34.43 |
| 22 | Iowa | $68,088 | $32.73 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $65,629 | $31.55 |
| 24 | Indiana | $66,825 | $32.13 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $70,448 | $33.87 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $69,375 | $33.35 |
| 27 | Georgia | $64,297 | $30.91 |
| 28 | Utah | $68,678 | $33.02 |
| 29 | Arizona | $67,694 | $32.55 |
| 30 | Texas | $65,206 | $31.35 |
| 31 | Florida | $59,576 | $28.64 |
| 32 | Colorado | $63,654 | $30.60 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $55,027 | $26.46 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $59,097 | $28.41 |
| 35 | Missouri | $60,815 | $29.24 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $61,443 | $29.54 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $49,744 | $23.92 |
| 38 | Montana | $52,851 | $25.41 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $59,676 | $28.69 |
| 40 | Maine | $50,761 | $24.40 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $59,512 | $28.61 |
| 42 | Idaho | $57,940 | $27.86 |
| 43 | Alabama | $57,115 | $27.46 |
| 44 | Oregon | $57,440 | $27.62 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $56,916 | $27.36 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $53,527 | $25.73 |
| 47 | Kansas | $56,065 | $26.95 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $49,823 | $23.95 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $55,876 | $26.86 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $39,429 | $18.96 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $49,954 | $24.02 |
Highest paying cities for legal department managers
The highest-paying cities for legal department managers are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $109,167 | $52.48 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $103,545 | $49.78 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $99,729 | $47.95 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $97,669 | $46.96 |
| 5 | Teaneck, NJ | $95,182 | $45.76 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $88,114 | $42.36 |
| 7 | South Windsor, CT | $83,379 | $40.09 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $80,597 | $38.75 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $77,849 | $37.43 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | $72,362 | $34.79 |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN | $70,487 | $33.89 |
| 12 | Scottsdale, AZ | $67,933 | $32.66 |
| 13 | Dallas, TX | $65,287 | $31.39 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $64,633 | $31.07 |
| 15 | Denver, CO | $63,567 | $30.56 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $60,103 | $28.90 |
| 17 | Montgomery, AL | $55,945 | $26.90 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,018 | $24.05 |
Legal department manager salary details
A legal department manager's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a legal department manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| Average | $66,307 | $5,526 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying legal department manager jobs
The highest paying types of legal department managers are corporate counsel, legal counsel, and general counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Corporate Counsel | $142,515 | $11,876 | $68.52 | 14,913 |
| Housing Counselor | $78,730 | $6,561 | $37.85 | 33,639 |
| Litigation Attorney | $109,027 | $9,086 | $52.42 | 6,918 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
Top companies hiring legal department managers now:
Which companies pay legal department managers the most?
Legal department manager salaries at Meta and Citi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average legal department manager salary at companies like Twitter and Zymeworks are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $160,094 | $76.97 |
| 2 | Citi | $144,361 | $69.40 |
| 3 | $135,647 | $65.21 | |
| 4 | Zymeworks | $131,583 | $63.26 |
| 5 | Gartner | $124,269 | $59.74 |
| 6 | Oaktree Capital Management | $118,654 | $57.05 |
| 7 | American Express | $112,508 | $54.09 |
| 8 | Tata Technologies | $105,585 | $50.76 |
| 9 | Janus Henderson U.S. | $101,843 | $48.96 |
| 10 | Universal Music Group | $86,810 | $41.74 |
| 11 | ACLU of Illinois | $83,366 | $40.08 |
| 12 | Ameriprise Financial | $82,779 | $39.80 |
| 13 | SASCO | $82,370 | $39.60 |
| 14 | CROWNPEAK TECHNOLOGY | $77,860 | $37.43 |
| 15 | Hyundai Securities | $74,652 | $35.89 |
| 16 | Bertelsmann | $71,954 | $34.59 |
| 17 | Publicis Sapient | $71,938 | $34.59 |
| 18 | Urban One | $69,894 | $33.60 |
| 19 | Kaneka North America | $67,769 | $32.58 |
| 20 | Bedrock Manufacturing | $65,802 | $31.64 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Legal department manager salary trends
The average legal department manager salary has risen by $7,115 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average legal department manager earned $59,192 annually, but today, they earn $66,307 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for legal department managers over the last decade.
Compare legal department manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average legal department manager salary over time
Compare legal department manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Legal department manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $66,300 | $31.88 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $64,200 | $30.88 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $63,200 | $30.37 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $62,300 | $29.95 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $61,700 | $29.68 | +2.0% |
Recently added legal department manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GWP | Legal Manager | Denver, CO | 06/19/2025 | $90,000 |
| Climate Pledge Arena | Manager, Legal Affairs | Seattle, WA | 06/18/2025 | $100,000 |
| Janus Henderson Group | Legal Manager | Denver, CO | 06/14/2025 | $90,000 |
| Driscoll's | Legal Manager (Onsite) | Watsonville, CA | 06/09/2025 | $110,000 |
| Gross Polowy LLC | Department Manager of Legal Services | Williamsville, NY | 06/09/2025 | $63,000 |
| Gross Polowy LLC | Department Manager of Legal Services | Williamsville, NY | 05/30/2025 | $63,000 |
| Merch Traffic | Manager, Business and Legal Affairs | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $112,000 |
| Abramson Labor Group | Department Manager, Legal Services | Burbank, CA | 05/23/2025 | $70,000 |
| American Express | Manager, Legal Affairs | New York, NY | 05/22/2025 | $80,000 |
| Live Nation Entertainment Inc. | Manager, Business and Legal Affairs | New York, NY | 05/10/2025 | $112,000 |
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