Dive Brief:
- While male general counsel and chief legal officers continue to see their pay far exceed that of their female counterparts, women in other legal department positions in the U.S. are holding their own and in some cases outpacing men in the pay they receive, according to two reports from search firms.
- Women in regional/country general counsel roles and senior counsel/assistant general counsel roles received higher total actual compensation on average than their male peers last year, according to Major, Lindsey & Africa’s 2022 Global In-House Compensation Survey.
- Meanwhile, women in managing counsel positions received average total compensation of $379,000 in 2021 compared to $378,000 for men in those roles, BarkerGilmore’s 2022 In-House Counsel Compensation Report found.
Dive Insight:
The gender pay statistics for in-house counsel positions below the top leadership ranks provide a reason for optimism for those desiring to see female in-house counsel be equitably compensated for their work.
In the U.S., women in regional/country general counsel roles reported making an average of $434,941 in total actual cash compensation last year compared to $425,649 for men in those posts, according to Major Lindsey & Africa.
Additionally, women in senior counsel/assistant general counsel roles reported receiving average total actual cash compensation of $292,379 compared to the male average of $278,114.
Women in deputy/associate general counsel roles and counsel positions in the U.S. made only slightly less than men, according to Major Lindsey & Africa’s survey data.
If these in-house pay trends continue, they have a potential to slowly make a dent in the gender pay gap at the highest rung of legal departments.
Male GCs and CLOs in the U.S. made nearly 16% more than women legal leaders last year on average ($604,142 compared to $522,332), with a large disparity in bonuses a major driver of the gap, according to Major Lindsey & Africa.
The search firm also found male chief compliance officers in the U.S. made an average of $440,064 in total cash compensation last year compared to $415,435 for their female peers, a 6% difference.
Other regions of the world have made less progress than the U.S. with regards to the gender pay gap, according to Major, Lindsey & Africa.
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, total actual compensation for men exceeded that for women in every position surveyed. The search firm’s report was based on responses from more than 3,300 lawyers in 46 countries.
