BarkerGilmore report gives benchmarks for Chicago in-house legal pay

• the composition of the in-house community 
• tenure and career mobility 
• career trends and patterns 
• demographic and practical insights 
• compensation benchmarks 

The report offered compensation data across the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles, with benchmarks by organization revenue. 

Key findings

The research revealed that compensation could vary significantly depending on experience, leadership responsibility, organization performance, industry, and economic conditions. 

“Organizational size, the scope of the role, and the structure of the compensation package all contribute to significant differences in how legal leaders are rewarded,” Gilmore said. 

According to BarkerGilmore, among senior in-house legal professionals surveyed in Chicago: 

• 54 percent remained in their current organization for one to five years, while 39 percent stayed with their company for at least six years 
• Nearly 69 percent retained their present position for one to five years, while 13 percent remained in their role for six to 10 years 
• Around 67 percent reported a “low” or “very low” probability of entering the job market, while 33 percent indicated a “high” or “very high” likelihood of seeking another job 
• 33 percent were working in the financial sector 

Compensation report’s objectives

According to BarkerGilmore, the 2026 Chicago in-house legal leadership compensation report aims to assist in-house legal professionals and employers in answering the following questions: 

• How did their compensation compare with that of Chicago’s other in-house legal professionals? 
• What compensation trends emerged in the Illinois city’s in-house legal leadership market? 
• What strategies could employers consider to draw in and keep legal talent? 

BarkerGilmore explained that the report seeks to help in-house legal leaders and employers: 

• Examine a wide array of compensation outcomes 
• Make informed decisions relating to legal talent 
• Better understand a market where trustworthy information on role-specific compensation can be hard to find 

“We hope these benchmarks give both employers and legal professionals useful context as they evaluate the market,” Gilmore said in BarkerGilmore’s news release. 

More BarkerGilmore news

Here are some other recent news stories involving the in-house legal and compliance executive search firm. 

According to BarkerGilmore’s 2026 New York City in-house legal leadership compensation report, compensation generally rises with organizational scale and responsibility level in the city, described by the firm’s managing partner as “one of the most sophisticated and competitive markets for in-house legal talent.” 

Per BarkerGilmore’s 2026 chief compliance officer compensation report, released last June, women chief compliance officers reported higher median total compensation levels than their male counterparts. 

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