Corporate Counsel

💰 $110K–$209K salary range

Median: $168K  ·  Based on 887 public job postings  ·  Updated October 17, 2026

📊 Salary breakdown

Corporate Counsel salary by location

• All locations: $168K median ($110K–$209K typical range)
• New York: $185K median, $128K–$225K range (+10% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $215K median, $186K–$295K range (+28% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $135K median, $116K–$180K range (-19% vs. national)
• Denver: $108K median, $99K–$173K range (-36% vs. national)
• Dallas: $95K median, $83K–$110K range (-43% vs. national)
• Boston: $200K median, $165K–$303K range (+19% vs. national)
• Chicago: $195K median, $188K–$200K range (+16% vs. national)
• Miami: $95K median, $83K–$150K range (-43% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $300K median
• Brex: $245K median
• Adyen: $186K median
• Zipline: $170K median
• Airwallex: $165K median

New York

• Brex: $245K median
• Kroll Bond Rating Agency: $225K median
• Amazon: $191K median
• Adyen: $191K median
• SIRIUS POINT: $178K median
• iCapital Network: $170K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 73% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 60% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 53% of postings
• Parental leave: 30% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 12% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 3% of postings

Typical experience required: 5–6 years.

Legal salaries by seniority

• Legal Operations Manager: $138K
• Associate General Counsel: $155K
• Legal Analyst: $163K
• Corporate Counsel: $168K
• Senior Legal Counsel: $180K
• Senior Counsel: $203K
• 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 $184K for Corporate Counsel roles, ranging $122K–$225K, across 161 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 $168K, with a typical range of $110K–$209K, based on 887 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 $185K, with a typical range of $128K–$225K (25th–75th percentile). That's 10% above the $168K US national median. 14% below San Francisco's $215K. Based on 141 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 $215K, with a typical range of $186K–$295K (25th–75th percentile). That's 28% above the $168K US national median. Based on 63 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 887 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 October 17, 2026.

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