Equilar, in collaboration with BarkerGilmore, today released the 2025 General Counsel Pay Trends report, providing the most comprehensive analysis of compensation for top legal officers at the largest U.S. companies. The report highlights evolving compensation patterns, revealing growth in pay, sector-specific trends and notable gender and tenure dynamics.

Disclosed General Counsel at Equilar 500 companies continue to receive substantial compensation packages, reflecting the increasing weight of legal, regulatory and strategic responsibilities. Median General Counsel compensation rose from $2.8 million in 2020 to $3.4 million in 2024, a 20.5% increase. Performance incentives remain the largest component of GC pay, growing 11.9% from $897,000 in 2020 to $1,003,800 in 2024.

Compensation patterns vary across industries. In 2024, six sectors saw declines in General Counsel pay, while four experienced gains. Utilities demonstrated consistent growth, with median compensation increasing 20.9% since 2020 and 11.3% from 2023 alone. Among sector pay mixes, financial services recorded the highest share of performance incentives (48.3%) and base salary (23.8%), while consumer cyclical companies (38.6%) and technology companies (37.3%) led in stock awards.

“Pay is important, but it is only part of the equation for attracting and keeping top legal talent,” said John Gilmore, Managing Partner at BarkerGilmore. “Forward-thinking companies are using data like this to stay ahead of market shifts, promote pay equity and create workplaces where legal leaders thrive for the long term.”

In terms of gender representation, between 2020 and 2024, the prevalence of women serving as Equilar 500 General Counsel fell 4%, from 34.9% to 33.5%. Despite this modest drop in representation, women General Counsel have outpaced their male counterparts in compensation for three consecutive years. In 2024, women earned a median of $3.6 million, 8.1% higher than the $3.4 million median for men, with performance incentives also exceeding men’s (over $1 million vs. $957,700). Men, however, led in stock awards, with a median of $560,000, 18.7% higher than women.

Meanwhile, tenure remains a significant factor in pay. The largest share of General Counsel in the study group (39.4%) have six to 10 years of service, earning a median of $3.2 million, while those with 11 to 15 years of tenure were the highest paid, at $3.6 million. By contrast, General Counsel with over 20 years of service—making up 3.1% of the population—received the lowest median compensation of $2.6 million.

Download the full 2025 General Counsel Pay Trends report for more findings and insights.

For deeper analysis and strategies, join Equilar, BarkerGilmore and Meridian Compensation Partners at the annual webinar on General Counsel compensation, taking place today at 1 PM ET. Register for the session.

About Equilar

Equilar is the leading provider of executive data solutions, serving more than 1,000 organizations, including a majority of the Fortune 500. The company’s comprehensive suite of platforms offers authoritative executive profiles, in-depth board and leadership research, and advanced compensation and governance analytics. Public company HR and governance teams depend on Equilar’s flagship offerings, including Equilar Insight and ExecAtlas, to benchmark executive compensation, guide board composition and recruitment efforts and enhance shareholder engagement. Learn more at equilar.com.

About BarkerGilmore

Founded in 2006, BarkerGilmore is recognized as the industry’s leading executive search, coaching and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the recruitment, retention and success of in-house legal and compliance teams.

With a team of highly experienced search consultants and a distinguished bench of former General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers, BarkerGilmore delivers unparalleled expertise and insight. The firm serves as a strategic advisor to its clients, delivering comprehensive solutions that maximize the business value of corporate legal and compliance departments.

www.barkergilmore.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250925458010/en/