How much does a Chief Legal Officer make?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Chief Legal Officer in the United States is $364,266. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $323,971 to $400,499, with most professionals earning between $287,285 and $433,487.

Chief Legal Officer Salaries by Percentile
Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $400,499 $33,375 $7,702 $193
Average $364,266 $30,356 $7,005 $175
25th Percentile $323,971 $26,998 $6,230 $156

Average Salary

25% $323,971 10% $287,285 90% $433,487 75% $400,499 $364,266 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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How much does a Chief Legal Officer make by hour, week, month, and year?

Salary.com provides you with accurate and diversified Chief Legal Officer salary data based on specialized databases to help you get a fairer salary. Click the switch button below to see more details about Chief Legal Officer hourly pay, weekly pay, monthly pay and so on.

Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

How Does Experience Level Affect a Chief Legal Officer's Salary?

An entry-level Chief Legal Officer with less than 1 year of experience earns about $339,608. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $343,216. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $348,028. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $355,245, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $364,266.

Levels Salary
Entry Level Chief Legal Officer $339,608
Intermediate Level Chief Legal Officer $343,216
Senior Level Chief Legal Officer $348,028
Specialist Level Chief Legal Officer $355,245
Expert Level Chief Legal Officer $364,266
$339,608 0 yr
$343,216 < 2 yrs
$348,028 2-4 yrs
$355,245 5-8 yrs
$364,266 > 8 yrs
Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Entry Level 7%
Mid Level 6%
Senior Level 4%
Top Level 2%
Experienced 0%
View as graph
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

How much does salary of Chief Legal Officer vary from city to city?

Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.

For example, as of March 01, 2025:
  • In San Francisco, CA, the average yearly salary for a Chief Legal Officer is $455,333.
  • In New York, NY, the average annual salary is $425,463.
  • In Boston, MA, a Chief Legal Officer earns $408,342 per year.

What is the salary trend of Chief Legal Officer?

As of March 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Chief Legal Officer compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $296,670 in 2023 to approximately $292,658 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Chief Legal Officer salary trends, click here.)

Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.

Average Annual Salary of Chief Legal Officer Over Time

2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
$296,670
2023
$292,658
2024
$284,312
2025
2026
$???
Last Updated on March 01, 2025
2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
2023
$296,670
2024
$292,658
2025
$284,312
2026
$???
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

Chief Legal Officer Salary by Year

Year Average Annual Salary
2020 View More
2021 View More
2022 View More
2023 $296,670
2024 $292,658
2025 $284,312
2026 View More
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

Job Openings of Chief Legal Officer

Salary.com job board provides millions of Chief Legal Officer information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Chief Legal Officer job openings or enter a new job title here.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Base Salary 78.4%
Bonuses 0.0%
Social Security 3.4%
401k/403b 2.3%
Disability 1.6%
Healthcare 1.8%
Pension 2.9%
Time Off 9.7%
Core Compensation
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Base Salary $364,266 78.4%
Bonus $0 0.0%
Value of Benefits
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Social Security $15,735 3.4%
401K/403B $10,500 2.3%
Disability $7,285 1.6%
Healthcare $8,352 1.8%
Pension $13,500 2.9%
Time Off $44,833 9.7%
Total Compensation $464,471 100%
Core Compensation is based on averages for this job and does not reflect personal factors used to determine your projected salary range.
Value of Benefits indicates the employer's expected contribution and paid time off.
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

What are the salaries of a Chief Legal Officer with different levels of education?

Salaries for Chief Legal Officer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

According to our 100% employer reported salary sources the median salary for a Chief Legal Officer with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is $374,691 - $411,372. Please try our salary wizard to explore how other factors like location, Years of experience and number of direct reports can impact your base pay and bonus.

Chief Legal Officer Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Typical Education for Chief Legal Officer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 0.2%
Associates 0.3%
Bachelors 1.2%
Masters 2.1%
Doctorate 95.8%
Typical Education for Chief Legal Officer
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 0.2%
Associates 0.3%
Bachelors 1.2%
Masters 2.1%
Doctorate 95.8%
view as table

Chief Legal Officer Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on March 01, 2025

What Am I Worth?

FAQ about Chief Legal Officer

1. What is the average salary of a Chief Legal Officer?

The average annual salary of Chief Legal Officer is $364,266. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Chief Legal Officer is $175; the average weekly pay of Chief Legal Officer is $7,005; the average monthly pay of Chief Legal Officer is $30,356.

2. Where can a Chief Legal Officer earn the most?

A Chief Legal Officer's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Chief Legal Officer earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Chief Legal Officer is $457,154.

3. What is the highest pay for Chief Legal Officer?

The highest pay for Chief Legal Officer is $433,487.

4. What is the lowest pay for Chief Legal Officer?

The lowest pay for Chief Legal Officer is $287,285.

5. What are the responsibilities of Chief Legal Officer?

Leads and oversees an organization's legal affairs to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Maintains a thorough understanding of business processes, strategies, and objectives to preemptively identify regulatory risks and protect the organization. Collaborates with executive stakeholders to provide leadership, regulatory oversight, and strategic guidance to all areas of an organization. Researches and monitors legal developments and manages regulatory changes to mitigate risk and minimize the impact on the organization. Assists or represents the organization in business negotiations and agreements. Requires a JD. Requires State Bar. Typically reports to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). C-suite level management. Develops functional or business unit strategy for an organization. Executes multiple high impact initiatives to achieve organizational goals. Defines vision, strategy, and focus for a major functional or business unit. Substantial experience with setting key metrics like KPIs or OKRs and shaping plans to meet objectives. Typically requires progressive leadership experience in senior management roles. Has expert level knowledge of the overall departmental function. Demonstrated experience in developing and executing long term business strategies.

6. What are the skills of Chief Legal Officer

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.

2.)

Regulatory Compliance: Monitoring strict adherence of all organizational processes and procedures to applicable laws and regulations.

3.)

Financial Services: A services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money. These services involve banking, brokerage, mortgages, credit cards, payment services, real estate, investment funds, taxes and accounting.

About Our Data

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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The average salary for a Chief Legal Officer is $364,266 per year in the United States, updated at March 01, 2025.
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