One sector is the lowest-paying industry for all but one category among both public and private companies
The industries that pay American in-house lawyers the most and the least have been revealed by a recent study.
From information shared by a random sample of nearly 2,000 in-house lawyers, BarkerGilmore has identified sectors with the highest and the lowest salary for in-house counsel at the general counsel, managing counsel, and senior counsel levels. The boutique executive search firm has also differentiated pay scales between public and private companies.
At the general counsel level, the highest-paying industry among public companies is industrial and manufacturing, with a median annual salary of US$737,500. Among private companies, the financial industry topped all others with a median annual salary for general counsel at US$545,000.
Both public and private companies in the professional services sector paid general counsel the least, with a median annual salary of US$396,000 and US$277,000, respectively.
At the managing counsel level, the biggest spender among public companies is the energy sector, which paid lawyers at this level a median annual salary of US$456,000. Private companies in the financial industry topped others when it comes to pay for managing counsel, with US$390,000.
Public professional services companies also paid managing counsel the least, with a median annual pay of US$336,500. Private healthcare companies paid managing counsel the least, with US$271,000.
For senior counsel, public life science companies paid the most, with a median annual pay of US$298,500. Energy companies topped among private companies, with US$246,500.
Professional services companies were the stingiest in the senior counsel level among both public and private companies, with an annual median salary of US$206,500 and US$208,500, respectively.
