Corporate Counsel

💰 $117K–$215K salary range

Median: $171K  ·  Based on 636 public job postings  ·  Updated August 30, 2026

📊 Salary breakdown

Corporate Counsel salary by location

• All locations: $171K median ($117K–$215K typical range)
• New York: $200K median, $145K–$239K range (+17% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $216K median, $188K–$262K range (+26% vs. national)
• Chicago: $144K median, $108K–$185K range (-16% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $135K median, $119K–$181K range (-21% vs. national)
• Boston: $168K median, $142K–$277K range (-2% vs. national)
• Denver: $183K median, $159K–$206K range (+7% vs. national)
• Austin: $193K median, $124K–$195K range (+13% vs. national)
• San Diego: $104K median, $82K–$150K range (-39% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $330K median
• Tools for Humanity: $278K median
• Brex: $245K median
• Zipline: $170K median

New York

• Brex: $245K median
• Kroll Bond Rating Agency: $231K median
• FalconX: $222K median
• iCapital Network: $188K median
• Axon: $180K median
• Kalshi: $163K median

Based on companies with 3+ active postings. Median of publicly advertised salary range.

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 70% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 63% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 50% of postings
• Parental leave: 31% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 17% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 3% of postings

Typical experience required: 5–7 years.

Legal salaries by seniority

• Legal Operations Manager: $140K
• Corporate Counsel: $171K
• Associate General Counsel: $173K
• Legal Analyst: $201K
• Senior Counsel: $203K
• Senior Legal Counsel: $208K
• General Counsel: $230K

What does a Corporate Counsel do?

Corporate Counsels are legal and compliance professionals who manage risk, contracts, and regulation. This benchmark reflects Mid-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2026) show a median of $185K for Corporate Counsel roles, ranging $127K–$234K, across 115 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Corporate Counsel salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $171K, with a typical range of $117K–$215K, based on 636 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

What is the Corporate Counsel salary in New York?
New York Corporate Counsels at AI-native startups earn a median of $200K, with a typical range of $145K–$239K (25th–75th percentile). That's 17% above the $171K US national median. 7% below San Francisco's $216K. Based on 122 qualifying postings, 2025–2026.

What is the Corporate Counsel salary in San Francisco?
San Francisco Corporate Counsels at AI-native startups earn a median of $216K, with a typical range of $188K–$262K (25th–75th percentile). That's 26% above the $171K US national median. Based on 57 qualifying postings, 2025–2026.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 636 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed August 30, 2026.

Hiring Corporate Counsels? RFS recruiters specialize in Legal placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

Are you a Corporate Counsel? See open Corporate Counsel roles →