Legal Salaries.

24 roles. 81 cities.

National salary data. Last updated April 2026.

24 roles trackedNew York Washington DC San Francisco Chicago

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Highest Paying

$220,000

AI Compliance Director

Industry Median

$145,000

AI Compliance Analyst

Entry Level

$58,000

Paralegal

Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Last updated April 2026.

The legal industry includes 24 tracked roles with national median salaries ranging from $58,000 to $220,000. The highest-paying role is AI Compliance Director at $220,000 national median. Legal professionals in the technology era navigate complex regulatory landscapes spanning intellectual property, data privacy, AI governance, and corporate compliance.

About legal salaries

Legal professionals in the technology era navigate complex regulatory landscapes spanning intellectual property, data privacy, AI governance, and corporate compliance. The rise of AI regulation has created high-demand specialist roles that combine legal expertise with technical understanding. Compensation reflects the high barriers to entry and the critical nature of risk management.

All legal roles by salary

#	Role	Median	Range
1	AI Compliance Director	$220,000	$172,000 – $286,000
2	AI Risk Analytics Engineer	$215,000	$168,000 – $280,000
3	AI Policy Director	$200,000	$156,000 – $260,000
4	Privacy / Data Counsel	$198,000	$152,000 – $258,000
5	Privacy Counsel	$190,000	$148,000 – $247,000
6	IP Attorney	$188,000	$142,000 – $248,000
7	AI Risk Manager	$175,000	$135,000 – $225,000
8	AI Legal Tech Specialist	$165,000	$125,000 – $218,000
9	AI Legal Research Engineer	$160,000	$125,000 – $208,000
10	AI Governance Manager	$160,000	$125,000 – $208,000
11	AI Governance Lead	$158,000	$120,000 – $200,000
12	AI Auditor	$150,000	$115,000 – $195,000
13	AI Compliance Analyst	$145,000	$105,000 – $195,000
14	Attorney / Lawyer	$138,000	$92,000 – $198,000
15	AI Compliance Engineer	$138,000	$105,000 – $175,000
16	Compliance Automation Engineer	$135,000	$105,000 – $176,000
17	AI Governance Analyst	$130,000	$95,000 – $175,000
18	Legal Operations Manager	$122,000	$92,000 – $162,000
19	AI Policy Analyst	$112,000	$82,000 – $152,000
20	Contracts Manager	$108,000	$82,000 – $142,000
21	Compliance Officer	$102,000	$78,000 – $138,000
22	AI Legal Analyst	$100,000	$75,000 – $130,000
23	Regulatory Affairs Specialist	$95,000	$72,000 – $128,000
24	Paralegal	$58,000	$46,000 – $76,000

Top cities for legal

Cities ranked by average median salary across all 24 legal roles.

#	City	Avg Median	COL Index
1	San Jose, CA	$204,417	1.38x
2	San Francisco, CA	$201,625	1.35x
3	Honolulu, HI	$193,958	1.30x
4	New York, NY	$190,167	1.28x
5	Washington DC, DC	$186,417	1.25x
6	Seattle, WA	$185,375	1.24x
7	Boston, MA	$179,917	1.22x
8	Arlington, VA	$179,000	1.22x

Related industries

Artificial Intelligence Software Engineering Cybersecurity Fintech & Financial Services Healthcare Data & Analytics Product Management Design & Creative Executive & Leadership Marketing Sales Cloud & Infrastructure Human Resources Consulting & Strategy

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