What are the main factors that influence a Counsel's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Counsel's salary?

A Counsel's salary grows with experience: an Attorney I (0-2 years)earns $101,000, an Attorney II (2-4 years)earns $134,034, an Counsel (4-7 years)earns $189,101, an Attorney IV (7+ years)earns $215,303, an Attorney V (7-10 years)earns $255,360,

What are the highest paying states for a Counsel?

Counsel salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Counsel roles are District of Columbia $207,816, California $207,028, Massachusetts $204,269. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Counsel roles make?

Salaries for Counsel level roles vary by specialization: General Counsel: $460,690; Assistant Counsel: $295,466; Commercial Counsel: $256,295; Managing Counsel: $194,300; Corporate Counsel: $190,417.

How do different companies affect a Counsel's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Counsel roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Counsel Salary in the United States

How much does a Counsel make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Counsel in the United States is $187,695 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $90.

However, a Counsel's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $223,784
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $172,388 to $206,585
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $158,451

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Counsel Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$206,585	$17,215	$3,973	$99
Average	$187,695	$15,641	$3,610	$90
25th Percentile	$172,388	$14,366	$3,315	$83

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Key Factors That Influence Counsel Salaries

A Counsel's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Counsel Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Counsel's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $101,000
Early Career (1-2 years): $134,034
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $189,101
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $215,303
Expert (over 8 years): $255,360

Levels	Salary
Attorney ... Level Counsel	$101,000
Attorney ... Level Counsel	$134,034
Counsel Level Counsel	$189,101
Attorney ... Level Counsel	$215,303
Attorney ... Level Counsel	$255,360

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Counsel Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Counsels. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $207,816.
California: $207,028.
Massachusetts: $204,269.

District of Columbia $207,816 California $207,028 Massachusetts $204,269 Washington $203,518 New Jersey $203,443 Alaska $203,180 Connecticut $200,590 New York $199,539

Hawaii $196,179 Rhode Island $194,603 Maryland $193,533 Minnesota $192,069 Colorado $191,506 Illinois $191,318 Oregon $190,605 Delaware $190,079

New Hampshire $189,749 Virginia $189,009 Pennsylvania $186,851 Nevada $185,762 North Dakota $185,405 Michigan $184,842 Wisconsin $184,636 Vermont $184,223

Texas $183,078 Maine $183,003 Arizona $182,890 Ohio $182,759 Georgia $181,032 Indiana $180,169 Wyoming $180,000 Utah $179,737

Iowa $179,624 Kansas $178,723 Louisiana $178,461 North Carolina $178,367 Missouri $178,329 Florida $177,597 Montana $177,203 Nebraska $176,828

Kentucky $176,621 South Carolina $175,871 Tennessee $175,401 Idaho $175,214 New Mexico $173,843 Oklahoma $173,543 Alabama $172,436 South Dakota $170,578

Arkansas $169,564 West Virginia $169,020 Mississippi $167,387

Top Paying Cities for Counsels

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $236,740
San Francisco: $234,413
Oakland: $229,214

San Jose, CA $236,740

San Francisco, CA $234,413

Oakland, CA $229,214

New York, NY $217,520

Queens Village, NY $216,112

Paramus, NJ $214,611

Passaic, NJ $214,423

Bergenfield, NJ $214,235

Stamford, CT $213,954

Huntington, NY $213,766

Newark, NJ $212,546

Bridgeport, CT $212,171

New Brunswick, NJ $211,551

Vallejo, CA $211,157

Middlesex, NJ $211,045

Somerset, NJ $210,876

Petaluma, CA $210,444

Santa Cruz, CA $209,712

Boston, MA $209,337

Monterey, CA $208,398

Fairbanks, AK $208,267

Los Angeles, CA $207,910

Washington, DC $207,816

Seattle, WA $207,478

Santa Rosa, CA $207,441

Juneau, AK $206,897

Orange, CA $206,277

Anchorage, AK $205,939

Anaheim, CA $205,808

Santa Ana, CA $205,526

Nassau, NY $205,414

Long Beach, CA $205,339

Danbury, CT $205,282

Santa Maria, CA $204,644

Everett, WA $204,607

Bremerton, WA $203,687

Trenton, NJ $203,330

Sacramento, CA $203,255

San Diego, CA $203,161

Brockton, MA $203,086

Tacoma, WA $203,011

Santa Barbara, CA $202,748

Lowell, MA $201,998

New Suffolk, NY $201,923

Nashua, NH $201,697

Lompoc, CA $201,397

Ventura, CA $201,209

Stockton, CA $201,153

New Haven, CT $200,778

Atlantic City, NJ $200,290

Hartford, CT $199,877

Modesto, CA $199,783

Poughkeepsie, NY $199,370

New Britain, CT $199,276

Kennewick, WA $199,013

Olympia, WA $199,013

New London, CT $198,976

Norwich, CT $198,920

Lawrence, MA $198,826

Bakersfield, CA $198,300

New Bedford, MA $198,037

Riverside, CA $198,037

Richland, WA $197,850

Portsmouth, NH $197,699

Vineland, NJ $197,662

San Bernardino, CA $197,512

Boulder, CO $196,986

Worcester, MA $196,836

Portland, OR $196,667

Saint Paul, MN $196,442

Minneapolis, MN $196,442

Philadelphia, PA $196,179

Honolulu, HI $195,184

Springfield, MA $194,527

Providence, RI $194,509

Chicago, IL $193,964

Bellingham, WA $193,739

Baltimore, MD $193,533

Chico, CA $193,063

Wilmington, DE $192,744

Pittsfield, MA $192,557

Manchester, NH $192,200

Spokane, WA $191,374

Denver, CO $191,355

Albany, NY $190,473

Troy, NY $190,398

Schenectady, NY $190,004

Burlington, VT $189,591

Portland, ME $188,934

Salem, OR $188,784

Yakima, WA $188,746

Ann Arbor, MI $188,690

Rochester, MN $188,165

Reno, NV $188,071

Fresno, CA $188,071

Milwaukee, WI $187,902

Detroit, MI $187,714

Allentown, PA $187,658

Carson City, NV $187,639

Houston, TX $187,357

Colorado Springs, CO $187,339

Syracuse, NY $187,245

Eugene, OR $186,888

Gary, IN $186,663

Bismarck, ND $186,663

Galveston, TX $186,663

Springfield, OR $186,513

Medford, OR $186,062

Fort Collins, CO $185,987

Austin, TX $185,837

Mesa, AZ $185,443

Phoenix, AZ $185,405

Dallas, TX $185,349

Reading, PA $185,237

Saint Cloud, MN $185,161

Concord, NH $184,993

Madison, WI $184,917

Utica, NY $184,411

Raleigh, NC $184,261

Las Vegas, NV $184,242

Rochester, NY $184,110

Des Moines, IA $184,092

Atlanta, GA $183,791

Battle Creek, MI $183,735

Salt Lake City, UT $183,679

Lancaster, PA $183,397

Champaign, IL $183,360

Harrisburg, PA $183,134

Durham, NC $182,965

Kansas City, MO $182,947

Kansas City, KS $182,909

Fort Worth, TX $182,890

Boca Raton, FL $182,815

Cleveland, OH $182,796

Columbus, OH $182,759

Pittsburgh, PA $182,740

Richmond, VA $182,665

Indianapolis, IN $182,628

Cincinnati, OH $182,384

Petersburg, VA $182,102

Lansing, MI $181,689

Billings, MT $181,689

Huntsville, AL $181,689

Lebanon, PA $181,670

Pueblo, CO $181,652

Dayton, OH $181,652

Appleton, WI $181,595

Buffalo, NY $181,520

Racine, WI $181,426

Charlotte, NC $181,408

Saint Louis, MO $181,351

Springfield, IL $181,276

York, PA $181,239

Elkhart, IN $181,239

Gastonia, NC $181,220

Benton Harbor, MI $181,220

Beaumont, TX $181,107

Lorain, OH $181,070

Toledo, OH $180,995

Binghamton, NY $180,901

Rock Hill, SC $180,882

Rockford, IL $180,788

Elyria, OH $180,694

Fargo, ND $180,694

Flagstaff, AZ $180,563

Fort Lauderdale, FL $180,450

Miami, FL $180,338

Duluth, MN $180,037

Bangor, ME $179,793

Cedar Rapids, IA $179,587

Louisville, KY $179,493

Grand Rapids, MI $179,456

Hialeah, FL $179,437

Casper, WY $179,174

Scranton, PA $178,949

New Orleans, LA $178,892

Virginia Beach, VA $178,874

Akron, OH $178,780

Peoria, IL $178,536

Sarasota, FL $178,498

Green Bay, WI $178,367

Baton Rouge, LA $178,273

Charleston, SC $178,235

Nashville, TN $178,179

Jamestown, NY $178,142

Davenport, IA $178,142

Tucson, AZ $178,048

Cheyenne, WY $177,991

Saint Petersburg, FL $177,935

Tampa, FL $177,898

Omaha, NE $177,860

Evansville, IN $177,785

Port Arthur, TX $177,785

Bradenton, FL $177,710

Santa Fe, NM $177,372

Orlando, FL $177,184

Clearwater, FL $176,978

La Crosse, WI $176,584

Canton, OH $176,584

Grand Forks, ND $176,527

Tulsa, OK $176,471

Albuquerque, NM $176,471

Newport News, VA $176,452

High Point, NC $176,396

Ogden, UT $176,321

Corpus Christi, TX $176,171

Laramie, WY $176,058

Norfolk, VA $176,058

Rock Island, IL $175,946

Saginaw, MI $175,908

Jacksonville, FL $175,889

Salisbury, NC $175,852

Memphis, TN $175,814

Moline, IL $175,720

Fort Myers, FL $175,664

Waterloo, IA $175,420

Spartanburg, SC $175,232

Lincoln, NE $175,139

Fort Wayne, IN $175,101

Birmingham, AL $174,895

Cedar Falls, IA $174,857

Provo, UT $174,838

Springfield, OH $174,819

San Antonio, TX $174,782

Greensboro, NC $174,707

South Bend, IN $174,688

Winston Salem, NC $174,669

Boise, ID $174,613

Savannah, GA $174,482

Muskegon, MI $174,144

Lima, OH $173,918

Lake Charles, LA $173,843

Anderson, IN $173,806

Lexington, KY $173,750

Augusta, GA $173,693

Greenville, SC $173,693

Wichita, KS $173,524

Tuscaloosa, AL $173,524

Columbia, SC $173,355

Bloomington, IN $172,886

Roanoke, VA $172,774

Asheville, NC $172,530

Knoxville, TN $172,210

Shreveport, LA $172,192

Wilmington, NC $171,948

Frankfort, KY $171,591

Oklahoma City, OK $171,460

Chillicothe, OH $171,385

Longview, TX $171,366

Topeka, KS $171,310

Mobile, AL $171,028

Terre Haute, IN $170,953

Erie, PA $170,934

Altoona, PA $170,840

Melbourne, FL $170,784

Amarillo, TX $170,709

Killeen, TX $170,653

Fayetteville, AR $170,502

Sioux Falls, SD $170,371

Chattanooga, TN $170,258

Idaho Falls, ID $170,240

Gainesville, FL $169,846

Portsmouth, OH $169,752

Little Rock, AR $169,714

Lynchburg, VA $169,714

Youngstown, OH $169,639

Lafayette, LA $169,639

Temple, TX $169,564

Daytona Beach, FL $169,526

Clarksville, TN $169,508

Pensacola, FL $169,489

Hopkinsville, KY $168,926

Charleston, WV $168,907

Florence, SC $168,813

Sioux City, IA $168,701

Macon, GA $168,156

Tallahassee, FL $168,137

Fayetteville, NC $168,100

Wichita Falls, TX $168,062

Waco, TX $168,062

Pine Bluff, AR $167,987

Vincennes, IN $167,631

Lubbock, TX $167,556

Great Falls, MT $167,443

Alamogordo, NM $167,424

Abilene, TX $167,274

Rapid City, SD $167,030

Monroe, LA $167,030

Albany, GA $166,917

Huntington, WV $166,899

Jackson, MS $166,880

Greenville, MS $166,861

Parkersburg, WV $166,673

Montgomery, AL $166,636

Johnstown, PA $166,598

Springfield, MO $166,448

Biloxi, MS $166,354

Sumter, SC $165,960

Columbus, GA $165,941

Twin Falls, ID $165,829

Pascagoula, MS $165,585

Kingsport, TN $165,097

Gulfport, MS $165,041

Alexandria, LA $164,421

Fort Smith, AR $163,952

El Paso, TX $163,445

Helena, MT $163,201

Las Cruces, NM $162,600

Harlingen, TX $162,075

Pocatello, ID $161,906

Florence, AL $161,850

Brownsville, TX $161,812

Dothan, AL $161,512

Mcallen, TX $161,418

Columbus, MS $160,029

Altus, OK $159,166

Lawton, OK $158,809

Pierre, SD $158,133

What Skills Can Increase a Counsel's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Case Management (Mentioned in 1.95% Job Postings): Connecting patients with suitable healthcare providers, resources, and services to ensure they receive optimal, cost-effective care.
Employment Law (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Applying the knowledge of employment law to regulate relationships between employers and employees.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.95%
Case Management	1.95%
Employment Law	1.56%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Counsel's salary.

Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Employment Law: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Intellectual Property	$198,957	6%
Innovation	$197,080	5%
Employment Law	$197,080	5%
Collaboration	$195,203	4%
Due Diligence	$195,203	4%
Leadership	$195,203	4%

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How Education impacts a Counsel's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Counsels enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Counsel with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $166,120 and $178,270).

Counsel Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Counsel

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 0.3%

Associates 0.3%

Bachelors 0.7%

Masters 3.1%

Doctorate 95.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	0.3%
Associates	0.3%
Bachelors	0.7%
Masters	3.1%
Doctorate	95.6%

view as graph

Counsel Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Counsel's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$172,388

Average $187,695/year

$206,585

$14,366

Average $15,641/month

$17,215

$3,315

Average $3,610/week

$3,973

$83

Average $90/hour

$99

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$206,585	$17,215	$3,973	$99
Average	$187,695	$15,641	$3,610	$90
25th Percentile	$172,388	$14,366	$3,315	$83

Salaries of jobs related to Counsel

Salary Trends for Counsel

Salaries for a Counsel can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $173,489 in 2023 to around $158,152 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Counsel salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Counsel Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$173,489

2024

$167,063

2025

$158,152

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$173,489
2024	$167,063
2025	$158,152
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Counsel

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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