General Counsel Pay Trends

General Counsel Pay Trends

General Counsel pay trends are closely watched in the in-house world as what happens at the top often reflects macro changes in legal departments generally. BarkerGilmore, in partnership with Equilar, analyzed the compensation of General Counsel disclosed in the SEC filings of Equilar 500 companies over the past five fiscal years. The Equilar 500 consists of the 500 largest U.S.-headquartered companies, by reported revenue, that trade on the major U.S. stock exchanges. Some of the trends in the report are illuminating – so you’ll want to grab your own copy today and break out some time to read and digest it. In addition, our In-House Counsel Salaries Guide also has helpful data from other providers and perspectives. You can also test the market by looking at open General Counsel Jobs – and apply! Here are some General Counsel pay trends from BarkerGilmore’s report to whet your appetite – head over to their site to download your copy today:

“Over the course of the study period—from 2019 to 2023—median compensation for Equilar 500 General Counsel increased by 24.8% to $3.3 million…In terms of representation, women have climbed the ranks to General Counsel positions. From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of women holding Equilar 500 General Counsel positions rose by 12.1%, increasing from 33.1% to 37.1%…However, compensation disparities have narrowed, with women earning a median compensation package of $3.4 million in 2023, surpassing their male counterparts’ median pay of $3.3 million by 2.6%…The largest share of Equilar 500 General Counsel (40.4%) have been in their current roles for zero to five years. In fact, more than 73% of Equilar 500 General Counsel served for 10 years or fewer. On the flip side, General Counsel with tenures of 20+ years were the least common in the study at 2.6% prevalence.”

Read: 2024 General Counsel Compensation Report at BarkerGilmore