General Counsel.
Birmingham.
$245,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$190,000 to $318,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A General Counsel in Birmingham earns a median of $245,000 in 2026. That is 12% below the national average. The range runs from $190,000 to $318,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. General Counsel compensation is driven by firm tier, practice area (M&A and private equity command the top of the market), and year of bar admission. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for General Counsel in Birmingham, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $170,230 for Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, based on 2,800 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$65,650
25th percentile
$100,270
Median
$170,230
75th percentile
$213,600
90th percentile
$272,900
Workers surveyed
2,800
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $245,000 is 44% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Lawyers covers a different population than the General Counsel title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) rather than General Counsel specifically. The Birminghamrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 23-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $221,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$159,000
to $196,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$208,000
to $257,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$270,000
to $319,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$306,000
to $380,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $50,000 to the total package.
Base
$245,000
Equity
$27,000
Bonus
$18,000
Signing
$5,000
Estimated total: $295,000
How Birmingham compares.
Birmingham, AL
$245,000
Cost of living: 16% below average
National Average
$280,000
Birmingham is $35,000 below
General Counsel salary by city.
Salary by role in Birmingham.
What you should know.
The General Counsel landscape in Birmingham is not what most salary sites will tell you. Birmingham is Alabama's largest metro, anchored by a major medical center, banking, and a growing innovation district. UAB is one of the state's largest employers and a driver of biomedical research jobs. The extremely low cost of living makes Birmingham a strong value for professionals in healthcare and finance. General Counsel compensation is driven by firm tier, practice area (M&A and private equity command the top of the market), and year of bar admission. Equity is a major component at roughly 30% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within law, firm tier and practice area specialization drive the steepest variance, with Big Law and top boutique firms setting the ceiling.
General Counsels progress Associate → Senior Associate → Counsel → Partner over 8 to 10 years at firms; in-house tracks progress Associate → Senior Counsel → Managing Counsel → General Counsel. Partner-track decisions happen around year 7 to 8. In Birmingham, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 16% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for General Counsels runs roughly $455K at median when factoring base + equity (30% of base annually) + bonus (25% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. In law, firm tier dictates total compensation structure — Big Law associates earn predictable lockstep salaries; in-house counsel typically trades lower base for equity. And on the tax side: alabama's top state income tax rate is 5%. Birmingham has no city income tax. The low rate combined with very affordable housing creates excellent take home pay ratios. When someone quotes you $245,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage UAB and the medical corridor when negotiating. Healthcare and biotech roles command nationally competitive salaries even in this low cost market. The range for General Counsels in Birmingham runs from $190,000 to $318,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Common questions.
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