As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a General Counsel in California is $316,134. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $288,383 to $354,787, with most professionals earning between $263,116 and $389,978.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $354,787 | $29,566 | $6,823 | $171 |
| Average | $316,134 | $26,345 | $6,080 | $152 |
| 25th Percentile | $288,383 | $24,032 | $5,546 | $139 |
An entry-level General Counsel with under 1 year experience makes about $299,152. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level General Counsel makes around $301,637. After 2-4 years, the General Counsel pay rises to about $304,951. Those senior General Counsel with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $309,093, and those General Counsel having 8 years or more experience are expected to earn about $313,235 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level General Counsel | $299,152 |
| Intermediate Level General Counsel | $301,637 |
| Senior Level General Counsel | $304,951 |
| Specialist Level General Counsel | $309,093 |
| Expert Level General Counsel | $313,235 |
| Entry Level | 4% |
| Mid Level | 5% |
| Senior Level | 6% |
| Top Level | 8% |
| Experienced | 9% |
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General Counsel salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of General Counsel, the highest General Counsel salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the General Counsel salary is 24.9% above. The lowest General Counsel salary is in Miami, FL, where the General Counsel salary is 3.9% lower than national average salary.
| City, State | Price | Compared to national average |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $357,951 |
24.9%
|
| Washington, DC | $317,338 |
10.7%
|
| Miami, FL | $275,378 |
|
| Chicago, IL | $296,186 |
3.3%
|
| Boston, MA | $319,659 |
11.5%
|
| New York, NY | $332,156 |
15.9%
|
