In-House Counsel Compensation Survey
Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA) launched the 2024 In-House Counsel Compensation Survey amid an uncertain market, a shifting regulatory landscape, and in the shadow of AI’s rise to prominence. The legal talent market may have slowed slightly as organizations tighten their belts, but the need for high-quality legal talent has only increased. Current rates of compensation do not necessarily reflect that need, creating an opportunity for those companies willing to recognize the value of premier legal talent.
How does your compensation compare?
General Counsel and other attorneys at public companies are significantly outearning their colleagues at private companies. 2024 bonus targets are 53% higher for GCs at public companies.
In association with Western Management Group (WMG), we gathered confidential and anonymous responses to our online survey in the winter and spring of 2024. More than 2,100 lawyers responded from 46 countries. From them, we found:
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GC and Chief Legal Officer compensation fell for the first time since MLA began collecting in-house compensation data, reporting that their total actual cash (TAC) compensation has decreased by 3% since 2022, to an average of $556,794.
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Attorneys at all levels are earning more at public companies than private ones. GC bonus targets for 2024 are 53% higher at public companies.
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Women in legal departments are still earning less than men on average, though that appears to be shifting for women in some mid-level and junior roles.
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In the U.S., CCOs saw their base pay jump by 36% since 2021, to an average of $403,510, while their total cash compensation soared by 72%, from an average of $430,191 to $740,707.
Average Target Compensation
Men in the GC seat are expecting 26% more in total target compensation for 2024 than women in the same role.
| Title | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
|
CLO
|
$ 644,926
|
$ 632,166
|
|
GC
|
$ 571,751
|
$ 424,982
|
|
DGC
|
$ 487,665
|
$ 397,247
|
|
AGC
|
$ 345,132
|
$ 339,434
|
|
Asst. GC
|
$ 309,740
|
$ 331,131
|
|
Sr. Counsel
|
$ 256,072
|
$ 240,150
|
|
Counsel
|
$ 251,565
|
$ 208,930
|
|
CCO
|
$ 729,738
|
$ 651,487
|
Who Responded to the Survey
| Job Title | Percentage |
|---|---|
|
General Counsel (GC)
|
29%
|
|
Chief Legal Officer
|
17%
|
|
Deputy General Counsel
|
12%
|
|
Associate General Counsel
|
11%
|
|
Senior Cousel
|
9%
|
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
7%
|
|
Regional General Counsel / Country General Counsel
|
7%
|
|
Assistant General Counsel
|
7%
|
|
Counsel
|
2%
|
| Revenue | Percentage |
|---|---|
|
Less than $100M
|
19%
|
|
$100M to $499.9M
|
19%
|
|
%500M to $999.9M
|
12%
|
|
$1B to $4.9B
|
21%
|
|
$5B to $9.9B
|
9%
|
|
$10B to $19.9B
|
7%
|
|
$20B and above
|
13%
|
| Region | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
|
NA
|
82
|
|
|
EMEA
|
12%
|
|
|
APAC
|
6%
|
| Gender | Percentage |
|---|---|
|
Man / Male
|
58%
|
|
Woman / Female
|
40%
|
|
Non-binary / third gender
|
0.05%
|
|
Prefer not to say
|
2%
|
Interested in speaking with an In-House Recruiter?
Our In-House Counsel Recruiting consultants partner with in-house legal, government affairs and compliance teams to identify general counsel and in-house counsel who can assist you in achieving your strategic goals.