Legal Counsel Salary at Startups
What startups pay legal counsel, from the pay their live postings state: base salary as the employer writes it, on roles still taking applications.
121 of 324 live roles state payChecked dailyUpdated
Median base pay
$215Ka year
The median of 113 live legal counsel postings that state pay in US dollars, as of October 2026. Each posting counts at the middle of its range.
- Middle half of postings
- $175K–$256K
- One in ten pays over
- $300K
- A typical posted range
- $190K–$240K
- Under $140K: 9 postings
- $140K–$160K: 7 postings
- $160K–$180K: 15 postings
- $180K–$200K: 12 postings
- $200K–$220K: 16 postings
- $220K–$240K: 12 postings
- $240K–$260K: 16 postings
- $260K–$280K: 6 postings
- $280K–$300K: 8 postings
- $300K–$320K: 4 postings
- $320K–$340K: 3 postings
- $340K and up: 5 postings
By level
As the title states it: "Senior", "Staff" and so on. Mid-level is a title with no level in it.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- Mid-level$205K$174K–$256K · 87 postings
- Senior$223K$193K–$261K · 19 postings
By city
Each in the currency its postings use. Pounds, euros and Canadian dollars aren't converted.
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Common questions
How much does legal counsel make at a startup?
As of October 2026, the median base pay startups advertise for legal counsel is $215K a year, across 113 live postings that state it in US dollars. The middle half of those postings pay between $175K and $256K, and one in ten pays over $300K.
How much does a senior legal counsel make at a startup?
Postings with "senior" in the title have a median of $223K a year, across 19 of them, against $205K for titles that state no level. The middle half pay $193K–$261K.
Where do legal counsel earn the most?
Remote roles, with a median of $211K a year across 77 postings.
Does legal counsel at a startup get equity?
Often, though few postings say how much: 41% of the 425 legal counsel postings we've read mention equity. The figures on this page are base pay only.
Where do these figures come from?
From the postings themselves: the pay range each employer states, on roles still taking applications, which we check against the company's own careers page every day. Each posting counts once, at the middle of its range. Postings that don't state pay, and pay in other currencies, are left out of the main figures.