Legal salary ranges in SF Bay Area
What open legal postings in SF Bay Area say they pay: the top and the low end of the range each one states, in yearly dollars.
By level
How far the posted top moves from one level to the next, for legal in SF Bay Area.
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Junior48 postings$239,000$207k–$283k
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Senior203 postings$252,000$209k–$300k
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Staff and principal29 postings$254,000$136k–$325k
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Manager and above188 postings$270,000$212k–$320k
Best-paying companies in SF Bay Area
Ranked by the median top of their open legal postings in SF Bay Area, among companies with at least three that state pay.
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Cytokinetics3 with pay$368,000$335k–$381k
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OpenAI12 with pay$366,000$356k–$385k
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Roche8 with pay$358,000$318k–$384k
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NVIDIA11 with pay$357,000$247k–$357k
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Figure AI3 with pay$350,000$300k–$350k
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Anthropic24 with pay$345,000$335k–$385k
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Genentech9 with pay$344,000$325k–$378k
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Axiom Talent Platform3 with pay$325,000$325k–$325k
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Databricks4 with pay$319,000$301k–$337k
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Ech4 with pay$309,000$261k–$324k
Legal pay by place
The same work in every place with enough postings, highest median first; SF Bay Area is marked.
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SF Bay Area816 postings$248,000$188k–$300k
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Boston221 postings$213,000$148k–$275k
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Seattle204 postings$201,000$145k–$251k
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New York1,132 postings$200,000$133k–$260k
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Portland22 postings$195,000$89k–$245k
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Austin89 postings$191,000$135k–$245k
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Denver116 postings$185,000$120k–$240k
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San Diego135 postings$180,000$106k–$243k
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Remote1,577 postings$175,000$120k–$230k
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Atlanta87 postings$166,000$107k–$214k
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All of the US8,584 postings$165,000$108k–$233k
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Washington DC289 postings$165,000$101k–$240k
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Dallas176 postings$165,000$108k–$230k
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Salt Lake City35 postings$165,000$84k–$221k
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Los Angeles289 postings$160,000$105k–$225k
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Chicago295 postings$159,000$119k–$218k
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Philadelphia44 postings$159,000$99k–$218k
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Miami44 postings$104,000$71k–$200k
Using these numbers
- Before you apply, check where the posting's own range sits against the middle half here. A range far below it is worth a question before you spend an afternoon on the application.
- When they ask what you expect, a figure inside the middle half for your level is one the market has already posted. Name the top of the posting's range if your experience matches what it asks for.
- Remember what a top is: the most a company says it may pay for the role. Offers land anywhere in the range, and equity and bonus are not in it.
Questions
How much do legal jobs pay in SF Bay Area?
Open legal postings in SF Bay Area that state pay post a median top of $248,000 a year; the middle half runs from $188,000 to $300,000, and the median low end of the ranges is $177,000. That is from 816 postings as of October 14, 2026.
How does the pay change with level?
For legal postings in SF Bay Area, the median posted top is $239,000 for junior, $252,000 for senior, $254,000 for staff and principal, $270,000 for manager and above.
Which companies post the most for legal in SF Bay Area?
Among companies with at least three postings that state pay, Cytokinetics ($368,000), OpenAI ($366,000), Roche ($358,000) post the highest median tops.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the pay ranges employers state in their own open job postings, which DonutApply reads from company job boards and public job feeds every day. They are what a company says it may pay for the role, not salaries anyone reported.
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