Executive pay tracks company size far more than title, so these figures are not comparable across C-suite pages; mid-size private companies shown. Base pay for a first or sole GC at a private mid-size company. Bonus and equity come on top; public-company and large-cap CLO packages (often seven figures with equity) are a different scale, per ACC's 173% gap.
Experience to get here
Entry level5-8 years post-JD (small company, up to ~$25M revenue)
Typical title10-20 years
JD from an accredited law school and an active state bar license are required. Large companies (>$250M revenue) prefer 15-20 years; small companies may accept 5+.
Typical prior roles
Associate / Deputy General CounselSenior Corporate or Commercial CounselLaw firm partner or senior associate (corporate)Head of Legal at a smaller company
Must have
8+ years legal experience with significant in-house time
Commercial contracts expertise in the company's industry
Corporate governance, board and equity matters
Leading cross-functional projects and outside counsel
Executive presence and judgment under autonomy
Milestones people hit first
Served as the sole or lead lawyer for a business unit or company
Managed outside counsel budget and a litigation or regulatory matter to resolution
Advised a board or executive team on governance, financing or M&A
Built the legal function's templates, playbooks and compliance program
Time: ~30 hours of study recommended by IAPP Prerequisites: None
The Codal GC posting lists 'privacy certifications' as preferred; GCs at mid-size firms usually own privacy and data-protection obligations.
Training & learning
Privacy Law and Data ProtectionFREEUniversity of Pennsylvania (Coursera) · course · free to enroll; certificate paid · about 13 hoursPrivacy is usually the GC's responsibility at a mid-size company.
Regulatory Compliance SpecializationFREEUniversity of Pennsylvania (Coursera) · learning path · free to enroll; certificate paid · about 40-46 hoursFramework for the compliance program a GC is expected to build and own.
Introduction to Corporate FinanceFREEWharton / University of Pennsylvania (Coursera) · course · free to enroll; certificate paid · 9 hoursGCs sit on the exec team; financing, equity and M&A advice needs finance literacy.
C-suite: figures are base pay at private mid-size companies; ACC's summary gives only relative (not dollar) CLO figures. The Codal posting had been removed when reviewed but its text was intact. JD/bar costs not published. Glassdoor GC page not used. No senior_or_manager figure since GC is the top legal role; CLO at a public company is the next step and is not comparable.
Figures are US, from the sources listed, and change often; verify before deciding.