The Larson Maddox USA Regulatory & Legal Salary Guide (2025 edition) benchmarks in-house lawyer pay by seniority across eight industries, with base salary, bonus and total compensation, and separate figures for higher-cost and lower-cost parts of the country. Larson Maddox, a legal and compliance recruiter that is part of Phaidon International, says the figures draw on its consultants’ market expertise, conversations with hiring managers and candidates, and real placement data. Here are the highlights.
This post is part of our In-House Counsel Salaries Guide, which collects the latest in-house pay surveys in one place.
In this post: General counsel pay · Pay by experience · Where you work · The headlines · Quick answers · What it means for your career
Larson Maddox Salary Guide: General Counsel Pay by Industry
Larson Maddox reports each level at a low end, median and high end, and industry makes the biggest difference at the top. A few examples of the median band for general counsel in higher-cost areas:
| Industry | Median base | Median total comp (base + bonus) |
|---|---|---|
| Life sciences | $375,000 – $700,000 | $700,000 – $1.5M |
| Financial services | $375,000 – $650,000 | $650,000 – $1.3M+ |
| Technology, media & telecoms | $300,000 – $500,000 | $450,000 – $1M |
| Manufacturing | $350,000 – $500,000 | $490,000 – $750,000 |
The guide also covers healthcare, consumer goods, energy, construction and infrastructure, and logistics and transportation. At the high end, general counsel base salaries reach $650,000 to $2 million in financial services and life sciences, and bonuses can run from 100% to 1,000% of base. To see what employers are offering right now, our General Counsel Jobs and Deputy General Counsel Jobs pages show the salaries posted on current openings.
In-House Counsel Pay by Experience
Below the general counsel level, the guide groups in-house lawyers by years of experience. In financial services in higher-cost areas, the median base salary runs from $200,000 to $230,000 at 2–5 years, $230,000 to $275,000 at 5–10 years and $275,000 to $375,000 at 10+ years. Technology, media and telecoms pays somewhat less: $170,000 to $200,000 at 2–5 years, rising to $225,000 to $275,000 at 10+ years.
Bonuses add a meaningful share at every level, typically 10% to 40% of median base for lawyers with 2–5 years of experience, depending on industry and location, and more for senior lawyers. For live pay on current openings by industry, see our banking, biotech, healthcare and energy counsel jobs pages.
Where You Work Matters
Larson Maddox splits each industry into higher-cost areas, such as New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and Washington, D.C., and lower-cost areas, such as Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Florida and Arizona. The gap is widest in manufacturing and consumer goods, where a median general counsel base of $350,000 to $500,000 in higher-cost areas compares with $275,000 to $300,000 in lower-cost areas. In financial services and life sciences the gap is smaller, at $350,000 to $600,000 in lower-cost areas.
The Headlines
- Industry matters most at the top. Financial services, life sciences and energy pay general counsel the most, with median total compensation passing $1 million in higher-cost areas.
- Bonus is a big part of senior pay. Median general counsel bonuses run 70% to 100% of base in financial services and life sciences, compared with 25% to 50% in healthcare and logistics.
- In-house pay is close to non-Big Law firm pay mid-career. The guide’s law firm tables put fifth- to eighth-year associates at Am Law 100–200 firms in metro markets at $245,000 to $280,000 base, in line with mid-career in-house lawyers in financial services and life sciences.
Larson Maddox Salary Guide: Quick Answers
What does a general counsel earn, according to Larson Maddox?
It depends heavily on industry. In higher-cost areas, the median general counsel base salary runs from $300,000 to $500,000 in technology, media and telecoms up to $375,000 to $700,000 in life sciences, and median total compensation can pass $1 million in financial services, life sciences and energy.
How much do in-house counsel earn by experience?
In financial services in higher-cost areas, the median base runs from $200,000 to $230,000 at 2–5 years to $275,000 to $375,000 at 10+ years. Other industries and lower-cost areas pay less.
Do the figures include bonus?
Yes. Larson Maddox gives base salary, bonus as a percentage of base and total compensation for each level. Equity and long-term incentives are not broken out separately.
Is the Larson Maddox salary guide free?
Yes. The full guide, with every industry and level, is free to download from Larson Maddox’s website, which also offers industry editions and a USA Compliance Compensation Guide.
What It Means for Your Career
- Weighing a move across industries? The same title can pay very differently in life sciences than in manufacturing. See our guide to Negotiating an In-House Job Offer.
- Comparing surveys? Larson Maddox gives ranges by industry and location, while Robert Half gives national starting salaries and Major, Lindsey & Africa reports accepted offers. See them side by side in our In-House Counsel Salaries Guide.
- Ready to look? Browse current In-House Counsel Jobs, General Counsel Jobs and Deputy General Counsel Jobs, where featured jobs show the posted salary, or find a recruiter in our Legal Recruiters Directory.