Over half (almost 60 percent) of in-house counsel are interested in new job opportunities with better compensation and benefits, according to the “2025 In-House Counsel Compensation Report” published by US executive search and talent advisory firm BarkerGilmore LLC.
Managing partner John Gilmore speculated that this may be attributed to 2025’s salary increase (2.8 percent) being lower than the 4.4 percent boost recorded in 2024, with salaries for general counsel, managing counsel, and senior counsel increasing by 2.5 percent, 3 percent, and 2.9 percent, respectively. He described as “modest” the compensation increase across all in-house counsel roles over the previous year.
General counsel at public companies made considerably more than their counterparts in other types of organizations, with top compensation at public companies exceeding US$4.5 million. Top compensation at privately owned companies, private equity-backed portfolio companies, and non-profit organizations came in at US$3.3 million, US$2.8 million, and US$2 million, respectively. However, top compensation amounts for managing counsel and senior counsel at public companies were US$979,000 and US$528,000, respectively.
Ninety-three percent of target cash bonuses were paid, relatively similar to the previous year. General counsel received 88 percent of their target, while managing and senior counsel received 95 percent.
Job security and longevity
Gilmore noted that 39 percent of in-house counsel were “very” or “somewhat” worried about job security. Just 13 percent, 11 percent, and 12 percent of general counsel, managing counsel, and senior counsel spent 10 years or more in their present roles.
“Given the essential role of the legal function at most companies, and because our research was conducted before major disruption related to government restructuring or financial market volatility, we are somewhat surprised at this level of concern among in-house counsel,” he said in a statement.
Eighty-one percent of in-house counsel indicated a lack of resources or staffing sometimes or always impacted their performance. Nonetheless, 65 percent were content with their current work/life balance.
The compensation gender gap increased from 4.3 percent in 2023 to 5.4 percent in 2024. Gilmore noted that the firm’s placements in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 generated female general counsel candidates whose compensation packages matched and occasionally surpassed those of their male peers, depending on experience.
The “2025 In-House Counsel Compensation Report” gleaned its results from a survey of almost 3,000 professionals.