Associate General Counsel salary in Boston: $254,000
Associate general counsel in Boston, MA earn a median of $254,000 in total compensation — about +6.7% versus the national median of $238,000 for this title. The typical range runs $198,000 to $345,000, with roughly $183,000 of that as base salary and the remainder in bonus and equity.
Median total comp
$254,000
base + bonus + equity
Typical base salary
$183,000
cash only
Cost-of-living adjusted
$172,000
COL index 148
Market movement
+6.2%
728 open legal roles
What an associate general counsel package looks like in Boston
Associate General Counsel is the senior workhorse title inside a legal department — deep subject-matter ownership, frequently a small team, but not the whole function. It is the most common landing spot for law-firm senior associates and junior partners moving in-house.
Boston carries a cost-of-living index of 148 against a national baseline of 100, so the $254,000 median is worth about $172,000 in national purchasing power. Legal hiring in the metro is running +6.2% year over year across roughly 728 tracked openings, and demand scores 78 out of 100 in our benchmark set.
- Years post-JD and whether the move came from an AmLaw 50 firm
- Practice area — securities, privacy, antitrust and life-sciences regulatory pay above generalist AGC roles
- Whether the role carries direct reports
- Public versus private company, and equity refresh policy
Boston versus other metros for associate general counsel
| Metro | Median total | vs Boston | COL adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $254,000 | — | $172,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | $296,000 | +16.5% | $163,000 |
| New York, NY | $278,000 | +9.4% | $165,000 |
| Seattle, WA | $270,000 | +6.3% | $178,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $247,000 | -2.8% | $169,000 |
| Washington, DC | $245,000 | -3.5% | $171,000 |
| Austin, TX | $232,000 | -8.7% | $215,000 |
| Denver, CO | $228,000 | -10.2% | $197,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $225,000 | -11.4% | $201,000 |
| Dallas, TX | $219,000 | -13.8% | $215,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $217,000 | -14.6% | $211,000 |
| Raleigh, NC | $210,000 | -17.3% | $212,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $208,000 | -18.1% | $200,000 |
| Tampa, FL | $203,000 | -20.1% | $201,000 |
Total compensation medians as of August 2026. Directional market estimates, not offers.
Associate General Counsel pay in Boston: common questions
- How much does an associate general counsel pay in Boston?
- The median total compensation for associate general counsel in Boston, MA is $254,000 as of August 2026, with a typical range of $198,000 to $345,000. Roughly $183,000 of the median is base salary, with the remainder in bonus and equity.
- Is Associate General Counsel pay in Boston above or below the national average?
- Boston pays above the national median for this title — $254,000 versus $238,000 nationally, a difference of about 6.7%. Adjusted for Boston's cost-of-living index of 148, the package is worth about $172,000 in national purchasing power.
- What is the base salary versus bonus and equity split for associate general counsel in Boston?
- Base salary typically accounts for about $183,000 of the $254,000 median, or roughly 72%. The balance comes from annual bonus and equity, and the equity share rises sharply at venture-backed and public companies.
- Which US metro pays associate general counsel the most?
- San Francisco, CA leads our benchmark set at $296,000 median total compensation for associate general counsel. Cost of living offsets part of that advantage — on a cost-adjusted basis the ranking changes materially.
- What drives Associate General Counsel compensation the most?
- Years post-JD and whether the move came from an AmLaw 50 firm; Practice area — securities, privacy, antitrust and life-sciences regulatory pay above generalist AGC roles; Whether the role carries direct reports; Public versus private company, and equity refresh policy.
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