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: starting around $186,517 for beginners, reaching about $189,365 at mid-level, and approach $202,291 for experts.

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 $212,576, California $211,769, Massachusetts $208,947. 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: Counsel VI: $292,800; Counsel V: $253,193; Commercial Counsel: $250,637; Counsel IV: $213,440; Managing Counsel: $194,300.

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 January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Counsel in the United States is $191,994 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $92.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $228,073
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $176,221 to $210,879
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $161,861

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

Recruit with AI

AI Onboarding

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Counsel Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$210,879	$17,573	$4,055	$101
Average	$191,994	$16,000	$3,692	$92
25th Percentile	$176,221	$14,685	$3,389	$85

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Counsel Job Openings in the United States

Attorney Defense of Indigent Parents

Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel, 4th DCA Region - WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Criminal Defense Attorney Indigent

Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel, 4th DCA Region - WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Matrimonial and Family Law

THE ALBER FIRM - SYRACUSE, NY

Counsel

PIMCO - AUSTIN, TX

Search More Counsel Jobs in the United States

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): $186,517
Early Career (1-2 years): $187,612
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $189,365
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $194,623
Expert (over 8 years): $202,291

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Counsel	$186,517
Intermediate Level Counsel	$187,612
Senior Level Counsel	$189,365
Specialist Level Counsel	$194,623
Expert Level Counsel	$202,291

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: $212,576.
California: $211,769.
Massachusetts: $208,947.

District of Columbia $212,576 California $211,769 Massachusetts $208,947 Washington $208,179 New Jersey $208,102 Alaska $207,834 Connecticut $205,184 New York $204,109

Hawaii $200,672 Rhode Island $199,059 Maryland $197,965 Minnesota $196,467 Colorado $195,891 Illinois $195,699 Oregon $194,970 Delaware $194,432

New Hampshire $194,094 Virginia $193,338 Pennsylvania $191,130 Nevada $190,016 North Dakota $189,652 Michigan $189,076 Wisconsin $188,864 Vermont $188,442

Texas $187,271 Maine $187,194 Arizona $187,079 Ohio $186,945 Georgia $185,178 Indiana $184,295 Wyoming $184,122 Utah $183,853

Iowa $183,738 Kansas $182,817 Louisiana $182,548 North Carolina $182,452 Missouri $182,413 Florida $181,665 Montana $181,262 Nebraska $180,878

Kentucky $180,666 South Carolina $179,898 Tennessee $179,418 Idaho $179,226 New Mexico $177,825 Oklahoma $177,518 Alabama $176,385 South Dakota $174,484

Arkansas $173,447 West Virginia $172,891 Mississippi $171,220

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: $242,162
San Francisco: $239,781
Oakland: $234,463

San Jose, CA $242,162

San Francisco, CA $239,781

Oakland, CA $234,463

New York, NY $222,502

Queens Village, NY $221,062

Paramus, NJ $219,526

Passaic, NJ $219,334

Bergenfield, NJ $219,142

Stamford, CT $218,854

Huntington, NY $218,662

Newark, NJ $217,414

Bridgeport, CT $217,030

New Brunswick, NJ $216,396

Vallejo, CA $215,993

Middlesex, NJ $215,878

Somerset, NJ $215,705

Petaluma, CA $215,264

Santa Cruz, CA $214,515

Boston, MA $214,131

Monterey, CA $213,171

Fairbanks, AK $213,037

Los Angeles, CA $212,672

Washington, DC $212,576

Seattle, WA $212,230

Santa Rosa, CA $212,192

Juneau, AK $211,635

Orange, CA $211,001

Anchorage, AK $210,656

Anaheim, CA $210,521

Santa Ana, CA $210,233

Nassau, NY $210,118

Long Beach, CA $210,041

Danbury, CT $209,984

Santa Maria, CA $209,331

Everett, WA $209,293

Bremerton, WA $208,352

Trenton, NJ $207,987

Sacramento, CA $207,910

San Diego, CA $207,814

Brockton, MA $207,738

Tacoma, WA $207,661

Santa Barbara, CA $207,392

Lowell, MA $206,624

New Suffolk, NY $206,547

Nashua, NH $206,317

Lompoc, CA $206,010

Ventura, CA $205,818

Stockton, CA $205,760

New Haven, CT $205,376

Atlantic City, NJ $204,877

Hartford, CT $204,454

Modesto, CA $204,358

Poughkeepsie, NY $203,936

New Britain, CT $203,840

Olympia, WA $203,571

Kennewick, WA $203,571

New London, CT $203,533

Norwich, CT $203,475

Lawrence, MA $203,379

Bakersfield, CA $202,842

Riverside, CA $202,573

New Bedford, MA $202,573

Richland, WA $202,381

Portsmouth, NH $202,227

Vineland, NJ $202,189

San Bernardino, CA $202,035

Boulder, CO $201,498

Worcester, MA $201,344

Portland, OR $201,171

Saint Paul, MN $200,941

Minneapolis, MN $200,941

Philadelphia, PA $200,672

Honolulu, HI $199,655

Springfield, MA $198,983

Providence, RI $198,963

Chicago, IL $198,407

Bellingham, WA $198,176

Baltimore, MD $197,965

Chico, CA $197,485

Wilmington, DE $197,159

Pittsfield, MA $196,967

Manchester, NH $196,602

Spokane, WA $195,757

Denver, CO $195,738

Albany, NY $194,836

Troy, NY $194,759

Schenectady, NY $194,356

Burlington, VT $193,933

Portland, ME $193,261

Salem, OR $193,108

Yakima, WA $193,069

Ann Arbor, MI $193,012

Rochester, MN $192,474

Fresno, CA $192,378

Reno, NV $192,378

Milwaukee, WI $192,205

Detroit, MI $192,013

Allentown, PA $191,956

Carson City, NV $191,936

Houston, TX $191,648

Colorado Springs, CO $191,629

Syracuse, NY $191,533

Eugene, OR $191,168

Bismarck, ND $190,938

Gary, IN $190,938

Galveston, TX $190,938

Springfield, OR $190,784

Medford, OR $190,324

Fort Collins, CO $190,247

Austin, TX $190,093

Mesa, AZ $189,690

Phoenix, AZ $189,652

Dallas, TX $189,594

Reading, PA $189,479

Saint Cloud, MN $189,402

Concord, NH $189,229

Madison, WI $189,152

Utica, NY $188,634

Raleigh, NC $188,481

Las Vegas, NV $188,461

Rochester, NY $188,327

Des Moines, IA $188,308

Atlanta, GA $188,001

Battle Creek, MI $187,943

Salt Lake City, UT $187,885

Lancaster, PA $187,597

Champaign, IL $187,559

Harrisburg, PA $187,329

Durham, NC $187,156

Kansas City, MO $187,137

Kansas City, KS $187,098

Fort Worth, TX $187,079

Boca Raton, FL $187,002

Cleveland, OH $186,983

Columbus, OH $186,945

Pittsburgh, PA $186,925

Richmond, VA $186,849

Indianapolis, IN $186,810

Cincinnati, OH $186,561

Petersburg, VA $186,273

Billings, MT $185,850

Lansing, MI $185,850

Huntsville, AL $185,850

Lebanon, PA $185,831

Dayton, OH $185,812

Pueblo, CO $185,812

Appleton, WI $185,754

Buffalo, NY $185,677

Racine, WI $185,581

Charlotte, NC $185,562

Saint Louis, MO $185,505

Springfield, IL $185,428

Elkhart, IN $185,389

York, PA $185,389

Gastonia, NC $185,370

Benton Harbor, MI $185,370

Beaumont, TX $185,255

Lorain, OH $185,217

Toledo, OH $185,140

Binghamton, NY $185,044

Rock Hill, SC $185,025

Rockford, IL $184,929

Fargo, ND $184,833

Elyria, OH $184,833

Flagstaff, AZ $184,698

Fort Lauderdale, FL $184,583

Miami, FL $184,468

Duluth, MN $184,161

Bangor, ME $183,911

Cedar Rapids, IA $183,700

Louisville, KY $183,604

Grand Rapids, MI $183,565

Hialeah, FL $183,546

Casper, WY $183,277

Scranton, PA $183,047

New Orleans, LA $182,989

Virginia Beach, VA $182,970

Akron, OH $182,874

Peoria, IL $182,625

Sarasota, FL $182,586

Green Bay, WI $182,452

Baton Rouge, LA $182,356

Charleston, SC $182,318

Nashville, TN $182,260

Jamestown, NY $182,222

Davenport, IA $182,222

Tucson, AZ $182,126

Cheyenne, WY $182,068

Saint Petersburg, FL $182,010

Tampa, FL $181,972

Omaha, NE $181,934

Port Arthur, TX $181,857

Evansville, IN $181,857

Bradenton, FL $181,780

Santa Fe, NM $181,434

Orlando, FL $181,242

Clearwater, FL $181,031

Canton, OH $180,628

La Crosse, WI $180,628

Grand Forks, ND $180,570

Albuquerque, NM $180,513

Tulsa, OK $180,513

Newport News, VA $180,494

High Point, NC $180,436

Ogden, UT $180,359

Corpus Christi, TX $180,206

Laramie, WY $180,090

Norfolk, VA $180,090

Rock Island, IL $179,975

Saginaw, MI $179,937

Jacksonville, FL $179,918

Salisbury, NC $179,879

Memphis, TN $179,841

Moline, IL $179,745

Fort Myers, FL $179,687

Waterloo, IA $179,438

Spartanburg, SC $179,246

Lincoln, NE $179,150

Fort Wayne, IN $179,111

Birmingham, AL $178,900

Cedar Falls, IA $178,862

Provo, UT $178,842

Springfield, OH $178,823

San Antonio, TX $178,785

Greensboro, NC $178,708

South Bend, IN $178,689

Winston Salem, NC $178,670

Boise, ID $178,612

Savannah, GA $178,478

Muskegon, MI $178,132

Lima, OH $177,902

Lake Charles, LA $177,825

Anderson, IN $177,786

Lexington, KY $177,729

Augusta, GA $177,671

Greenville, SC $177,671

Wichita, KS $177,498

Tuscaloosa, AL $177,498

Columbia, SC $177,326

Bloomington, IN $176,846

Roanoke, VA $176,730

Asheville, NC $176,481

Knoxville, TN $176,154

Shreveport, LA $176,135

Wilmington, NC $175,886

Frankfort, KY $175,521

Oklahoma City, OK $175,387

Chillicothe, OH $175,310

Longview, TX $175,291

Topeka, KS $175,233

Mobile, AL $174,945

Terre Haute, IN $174,868

Erie, PA $174,849

Altoona, PA $174,753

Melbourne, FL $174,695

Amarillo, TX $174,619

Killeen, TX $174,561

Fayetteville, AR $174,407

Sioux Falls, SD $174,273

Chattanooga, TN $174,158

Idaho Falls, ID $174,139

Gainesville, FL $173,735

Portsmouth, OH $173,639

Little Rock, AR $173,601

Lynchburg, VA $173,601

Lafayette, LA $173,524

Youngstown, OH $173,524

Temple, TX $173,447

Daytona Beach, FL $173,409

Clarksville, TN $173,390

Pensacola, FL $173,371

Hopkinsville, KY $172,795

Charleston, WV $172,775

Florence, SC $172,679

Sioux City, IA $172,564

Macon, GA $172,007

Tallahassee, FL $171,988

Fayetteville, NC $171,950

Waco, TX $171,911

Wichita Falls, TX $171,911

Pine Bluff, AR $171,835

Vincennes, IN $171,470

Lubbock, TX $171,393

Great Falls, MT $171,278

Alamogordo, NM $171,259

Abilene, TX $171,105

Rapid City, SD $170,855

Monroe, LA $170,855

Albany, GA $170,740

Huntington, WV $170,721

Jackson, MS $170,702

Greenville, MS $170,683

Parkersburg, WV $170,491

Montgomery, AL $170,452

Johnstown, PA $170,414

Springfield, MO $170,260

Biloxi, MS $170,164

Sumter, SC $169,761

Columbus, GA $169,742

Twin Falls, ID $169,627

Pascagoula, MS $169,377

Kingsport, TN $168,878

Gulfport, MS $168,820

Alexandria, LA $168,187

Fort Smith, AR $167,707

El Paso, TX $167,188

Helena, MT $166,939

Las Cruces, NM $166,324

Harlingen, TX $165,787

Pocatello, ID $165,614

Florence, AL $165,556

Brownsville, TX $165,518

Dothan, AL $165,211

Mcallen, TX $165,115

Columbus, MS $163,694

Altus, OK $162,811

Lawton, OK $162,446

Pierre, SD $161,755

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.

Open Source: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Open Source	$220,793	15%
Intellectual Property	$203,514	6%
Innovation	$201,594	5%
Employment Law	$201,594	5%
Hard Working	$199,674	4%
Collaboration	$199,674	4%

Get Latest Data

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 January 01, 2026

$176,221

Average $191,994/year

$210,879

$14,685

Average $16,000/month

$17,573

$3,389

Average $3,692/week

$4,055

$85

Average $92/hour

$101

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$210,879	$17,573	$4,055	$101
Average	$191,994	$16,000	$3,692	$92
25th Percentile	$176,221	$14,685	$3,389	$85

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 $177,100 in 2023 to around $161,444 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

$177,100

2024

$170,540

2025

$161,444

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$177,100
2024	$170,540
2025	$161,444
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Counsel

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Biotechnology

the United States

Find Your Next Counsel Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Counsel job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

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.)

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

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about