Average Corporate Counsel Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Corporate Counsel salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Corporate Counsel Make in United States?

A Corporate Counsel working in United States will typically earn around 137,100 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 61,700 USD to the highest average salary of 215,100 USD.

Average Annual Salary
137,100 USD
Average Monthly Salary
11,425 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
61,700 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,141 USD

Highest Annual Salary
215,100 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
17,925 USD

These are average salaries for a Corporate Counsel in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Corporate Counsel to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Corporate Counsel salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Corporate Counsel Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Corporate Counsel will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Corporate Counsel can earn between 61,700 USD and 215,100 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Corporate Counsel in United States is 148,300 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 148,300 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 148,300 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Corporate Counsel salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 94,900 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 94,900 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 195,200 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 195,200 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Corporate Counsel Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average corporate counsel salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Corporate Counsel in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 69,700 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Corporate Counsel salary would increase to 93,600 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Corporate Counsel, the average salary would be 141,000 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 171,300 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Corporate Counsel with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 187,500 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Corporate Counsel with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 201,000 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
69,700 USD
2-5 Years +34%
93,600 USD
5-10 Years +48%
141,000 USD
10-15 Years +22%
171,300 USD
15-20 Years +9%
187,500 USD
20+ Years +8%
201,000 USD

Corporate Counsel Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Corporate Counsel in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Corporate Counsel in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 79,500 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Corporate Counsel in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 128,200 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Corporate Counsel in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 211,200 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
79,500 USD
Bachelor's Degree +57%
128,200 USD
Master's Degree +68%
211,200 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Corporate Counsel Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male corporate counsel will earn an average of 141,000 USD, while a female corporate counsel will earn around 130,400 USD.

This means that a male corporate counsel earns approximately 8% more than a female corporate counsel for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
141,000 USD
Female -8%
130,400 USD

Corporate Counsel Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Corporate Counsel in United States is around 11% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Corporate Counsel in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Corporate Counsel Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Corporate Counsel is a low bonus based job, with 36% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

64% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
36%
No Bonus
64%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Corporate Counsel

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Corporate Counsel in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Administrative Law Judge Legal 245,400 USD
Arbitrator Legal 119,700 USD
Associate Attorney Legal 117,100 USD
Attorney Legal 192,600 USD
Bailiff Legal 58,200 USD
Barrister Legal 49,700 USD
Candidate Attorney Legal 114,600 USD
Conciliator Legal 95,300 USD
Contracts Associate Legal 59,200 USD
Contracts Manager Legal 108,200 USD
Contracts Negotiator Legal 88,300 USD
Contracts Specialist Legal 62,500 USD
Conveyancing Secretary Legal 48,600 USD
Counsel Legal 134,700 USD
Court Clerk Legal 45,200 USD
Court Judicial Assistant Legal 75,500 USD
Court Liaison Specialist Legal 81,000 USD
Court Reporter Legal 76,000 USD
Court Representative Legal 57,800 USD
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer Legal 257,700 USD
General Counsel Legal 250,600 USD
Immigration Executive Legal 130,500 USD
In House Counsel Legal 142,300 USD
Intellectual Property Specialist Legal 99,600 USD
Judge Advocate Legal 192,600 USD
Law Clerk Legal 43,800 USD
Lawyer Legal 177,100 USD
Legal Administrative Assistant Legal 49,300 USD
Legal Advisor Legal 116,400 USD
Legal Assistant Legal 46,700 USD
Legal Associate Legal 87,000 USD
Legal Consultant Legal 118,900 USD
Legal Consultant Legal 119,700 USD
Legal Counsel Legal 132,000 USD
Legal Editor Legal 93,800 USD
Legal Executive Legal 167,100 USD
Legal Executive Secretary Legal 51,300 USD
Legal IP Officer Legal 45,000 USD
Legal Officer Legal 59,500 USD
Legal Secretary Legal 55,400 USD
Legal Services Director Legal 211,200 USD
Legal Services Manager Legal 209,700 USD
Legal Support Worker Legal 34,400 USD
Legislative Liaison Legal 91,500 USD
Litigation Attorney Legal 223,800 USD
Litigation Paralegal Legal 108,200 USD
Magistrate Judge Legal 278,500 USD
Paralegal Legal 72,400 USD
Patent Attorney Legal 147,900 USD
Staff Attorney Legal 147,900 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 130,500 USD
Austin 151,800 USD
Baltimore 137,100 USD
Boston 139,100 USD
Bristol 112,700 USD
Chicago 164,100 USD
Cincinnati 118,900 USD
Cleveland 118,900 USD
Dallas 148,300 USD
Denver 142,300 USD
Detroit 146,700 USD
Honolulu 114,600 USD
Houston 158,900 USD
Indianapolis 140,200 USD
Iowa City 115,600 USD
Jacksonville 152,700 USD
Kansas City 137,100 USD
Kent 116,400 USD
Las Vegas 142,100 USD
Long Beach 130,500 USD
Los Angeles 163,500 USD
Memphis 132,000 USD
Miami 124,500 USD
Minneapolis 123,800 USD
New Orleans 121,800 USD
New York 158,700 USD
Oakland 121,800 USD
Oklahoma City 138,700 USD
Orlando 114,600 USD
Philadelphia 160,600 USD
Phoenix 153,800 USD
Sacramento 130,500 USD
San Antonio 160,700 USD
San Diego 160,600 USD
San Francisco 151,800 USD
San Jose 150,100 USD
Seattle 142,300 USD
Tampa 121,800 USD
Vancouver 114,900 USD
Washington D.C. 142,100 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 137,100 USD
Alaska 124,500 USD
Arizona 151,800 USD
Arkansas 130,500 USD
California 157,600 USD
Colorado 146,700 USD
Connecticut 130,400 USD
Delaware 127,600 USD
District of Columbia 115,600 USD
Florida 151,800 USD
Georgia 152,700 USD
Hawaii 124,500 USD
Idaho 127,600 USD
Illinois 157,600 USD
Indiana 141,000 USD
Iowa 134,100 USD
Kansas 140,700 USD
Kentucky 134,700 USD
Louisiana 141,000 USD
Maine 132,000 USD
Maryland 142,100 USD
Massachusetts 147,900 USD
Michigan 140,200 USD
Minnesota 140,700 USD
Mississippi 137,100 USD
Missouri 138,700 USD
Montana 127,700 USD
Nebraska 134,100 USD
Nevada 130,500 USD
New Hampshire 127,600 USD
New Jersey 152,700 USD
New Mexico 127,600 USD
New York 153,700 USD
North Carolina 140,200 USD
North Dakota 119,700 USD
Ohio 152,700 USD
Oklahoma 130,500 USD
Oregon 137,100 USD
Pennsylvania 157,600 USD
Rhode Island 119,700 USD
South Carolina 141,000 USD
South Dakota 130,500 USD
Tennessee 142,100 USD
Texas 157,600 USD
Utah 138,700 USD
Vermont 119,700 USD
Virginia 151,800 USD
Washington 141,000 USD
West Virginia 130,500 USD
Wisconsin 147,900 USD
Wyoming 114,300 USD

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