New In-House Counsel Compensation Survey Highlights Salary Increases and Persistent Wage Gaps

The recently released survey by The Counsel Network and The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association indicates a significant rise in the national base salary for in-house counsel in Canada. The average base salary has reached $196,000, marking an 8.9% increase from 2022.

However, the survey reveals ongoing gender and diversity wage gaps. Female in-house counsel earn $21,500 less than their male counterparts on average, with limited progress over recent years. Racialized and disabled lawyers also report lower mean salaries compared to non-racialized and non-disabled lawyers, respectively.

Work-life balance satisfaction has improved, and the highest salaries are found in the retail, real estate, and IT sectors. Future outlooks remain cautiously optimistic, though only a minority prefer full-time office work.