Employment Counsel salary in Boston: $211,000
Employment counsel in Boston, MA earn a median of $211,000 in total compensation — about +7.1% versus the national median of $197,000 for this title. The typical range runs $165,000 to $287,000, with roughly $152,000 of that as base salary and the remainder in bonus and equity.
Median total comp
$211,000
base + bonus + equity
Typical base salary
$152,000
cash only
Cost-of-living adjusted
$143,000
COL index 148
Market movement
+6.2%
728 open legal roles
What an employment counsel role package looks like in Boston
Employment Counsel (sometimes Labor & Employment Counsel) partners day-to-day with HR on hiring, classification, accommodations, internal investigations, separations and reductions in force. Multi-state and multi-country coverage is the main pay differentiator.
Boston carries a cost-of-living index of 148 against a national baseline of 100, so the $211,000 median is worth about $143,000 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.
- Number of states or countries covered, and any unionized workforce exposure
- Internal investigations and executive separation experience
- Whether the role owns immigration, equity/comp or benefits questions as well
- Company headcount and growth or restructuring intensity
Boston versus other metros for employment counsel
| Metro | Median total | vs Boston | COL adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $211,000 | — | $143,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | $245,000 | +16.1% | $135,000 |
| New York, NY | $231,000 | +9.5% | $138,000 |
| Seattle, WA | $223,000 | +5.7% | $147,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $205,000 | -2.8% | $140,000 |
| Washington, DC | $203,000 | -3.8% | $142,000 |
| Austin, TX | $192,000 | -9.0% | $178,000 |
| Denver, CO | $189,000 | -10.4% | $163,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $187,000 | -11.4% | $167,000 |
| Dallas, TX | $181,000 | -14.2% | $177,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $179,000 | -15.2% | $174,000 |
| Raleigh, NC | $174,000 | -17.5% | $176,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $172,000 | -18.5% | $165,000 |
| Tampa, FL | $168,000 | -20.4% | $166,000 |
Total compensation medians as of August 2026. Directional market estimates, not offers.
Employment Counsel pay in Boston: common questions
- How much does an employment counsel role pay in Boston?
- The median total compensation for employment counsel in Boston, MA is $211,000 as of August 2026, with a typical range of $165,000 to $287,000. Roughly $152,000 of the median is base salary, with the remainder in bonus and equity.
- Is Employment Counsel pay in Boston above or below the national average?
- Boston pays above the national median for this title — $211,000 versus $197,000 nationally, a difference of about 7.1%. Adjusted for Boston's cost-of-living index of 148, the package is worth about $143,000 in national purchasing power.
- What is the base salary versus bonus and equity split for employment counsel in Boston?
- Base salary typically accounts for about $152,000 of the $211,000 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 employment counsel the most?
- San Francisco, CA leads our benchmark set at $245,000 median total compensation for employment counsel. Cost of living offsets part of that advantage — on a cost-adjusted basis the ranking changes materially.
- What drives Employment Counsel compensation the most?
- Number of states or countries covered, and any unionized workforce exposure; Internal investigations and executive separation experience; Whether the role owns immigration, equity/comp or benefits questions as well; Company headcount and growth or restructuring intensity.
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What would your profile earn in Boston?
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