Average In House Counsel Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average In House 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 an In House Counsel Make in United States?

An In House Counsel working in United States will typically earn around 142,300 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 66,200 USD to the highest average salary of 226,100 USD.

Average Annual Salary
142,300 USD
Average Monthly Salary
11,858 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
66,200 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,516 USD

Highest Annual Salary
226,100 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
18,841 USD

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

In House 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 In House Counsel Salaries in United States

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

Salary ranges

We already know that an In House Counsel can earn between 66,200 USD and 226,100 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 an In House Counsel in United States is 153,800 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 153,800 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 153,800 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 In House Counsel salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 100,400 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 100,400 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 199,700 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 199,700 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.

In House 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 in house 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. An In House Counsel in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 76,800 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average In House Counsel salary would increase to 107,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an In House Counsel, the average salary would be 152,900 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 187,500 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An In House Counsel with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 195,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an In House Counsel with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 213,800 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
76,800 USD
2-5 Years +38%
107,700 USD
5-10 Years +42%
152,900 USD
10-15 Years +22%
187,500 USD
15-20 Years +6%
195,200 USD
20+ Years +9%
213,800 USD

In House 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 an In House 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.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An In House Counsel in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 107,700 USD.

  • Master's Degree. An In House Counsel in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 195,200 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
107,700 USD
Master's Degree +83%
195,200 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.

In House 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 in house counsel will earn an average of 146,900 USD, while a female in house counsel will earn around 141,000 USD.

This means that a male in house counsel earns approximately 4% more than a female in house counsel for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
146,900 USD
Female -4%
141,000 USD

In House 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 an In House 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 an In House 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%

In House 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.

An In House Counsel is a low bonus based job, with 35% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

65% 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
35%
No Bonus
65%

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 an In House Counsel

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an In House 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
Corporate Counsel Legal 137,100 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
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 134,700 USD
Austin 153,700 USD
Baltimore 141,000 USD
Boston 146,900 USD
Bristol 114,300 USD
Chicago 153,700 USD
Cincinnati 115,600 USD
Cleveland 115,600 USD
Dallas 152,700 USD
Denver 147,900 USD
Detroit 134,100 USD
Honolulu 114,600 USD
Houston 165,900 USD
Indianapolis 140,200 USD
Iowa City 109,000 USD
Jacksonville 152,700 USD
Kansas City 132,000 USD
Kent 117,100 USD
Las Vegas 140,200 USD
Long Beach 125,400 USD
Los Angeles 158,700 USD
Memphis 132,000 USD
Miami 123,000 USD
Minneapolis 119,700 USD
New Orleans 119,700 USD
New York 164,100 USD
Oakland 123,800 USD
Oklahoma City 142,300 USD
Orlando 111,700 USD
Philadelphia 151,800 USD
Phoenix 161,300 USD
Sacramento 138,700 USD
San Antonio 151,800 USD
San Diego 157,600 USD
San Francisco 142,300 USD
San Jose 158,900 USD
Seattle 140,700 USD
Tampa 118,900 USD
Vancouver 121,800 USD
Washington D.C. 140,200 USD

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
Alabama 146,700 USD
Alaska 117,100 USD
Arizona 146,700 USD
Arkansas 139,100 USD
California 148,300 USD
Colorado 138,700 USD
Connecticut 138,700 USD
Delaware 130,500 USD
District of Columbia 119,700 USD
Florida 152,700 USD
Georgia 157,600 USD
Hawaii 125,400 USD
Idaho 127,600 USD
Illinois 157,600 USD
Indiana 140,700 USD
Iowa 132,000 USD
Kansas 138,700 USD
Kentucky 130,400 USD
Louisiana 137,100 USD
Maine 130,500 USD
Maryland 151,800 USD
Massachusetts 141,000 USD
Michigan 151,800 USD
Minnesota 148,300 USD
Mississippi 130,500 USD
Missouri 142,300 USD
Montana 128,400 USD
Nebraska 123,800 USD
Nevada 130,400 USD
New Hampshire 130,500 USD
New Jersey 142,100 USD
New Mexico 128,400 USD
New York 157,600 USD
North Carolina 140,200 USD
North Dakota 118,900 USD
Ohio 153,800 USD
Oklahoma 142,300 USD
Oregon 132,000 USD
Pennsylvania 152,900 USD
Rhode Island 130,500 USD
South Carolina 134,700 USD
South Dakota 125,400 USD
Tennessee 150,100 USD
Texas 146,900 USD
Utah 128,400 USD
Vermont 125,400 USD
Virginia 142,100 USD
Washington 142,300 USD
West Virginia 130,400 USD
Wisconsin 150,100 USD
Wyoming 117,100 USD

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average In House Counsel Salary in United States for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on April 19, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-in-house-counsel-salary-in-united-states/.

  • "Average In House Counsel Salary in United States for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-in-house-counsel-salary-in-united-states/. Accessed 19 April, 2024

  • Average In House Counsel Salary in United States for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-in-house-counsel-salary-in-united-states/.