Legal and compliance jobs: postings, pay, and occupations
How many US job postings are in legal and compliance, what they advertise in pay, and the occupations and industries behind them.
- US job postings
- 34,614
- 1.1% of US postings placed in a field
- Median advertised pay
- $132,500
- Middle 50 percent $86,320 to $185,000
- Share that list pay
- 37.3%
- 12,902 of 34,614 postings
- Fully remote
- 11.2%
- 3,862 remote postings open to US workers
Figures as of .
Legal and compliance has 34,614 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 1.1% of the US postings we could place in a field. That ranks 22nd of 24 fields.
Its postings that list pay advertise a median of $132,500 a year, with the middle 50 percent from $86,320 to $185,000.
Its largest occupation is compliance specialist and manager, with 34.5% of its postings. The industry with the most of its postings is professional services, with 28.0%.
Occupations in legal and compliance
Each occupation's share of the US postings in legal and compliance, as of November 5, 2026. A posting placed only in a field has no occupation, so the shares can add up to less than the whole field.
| Occupation | Postings | Share of field | Lists pay | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance specialist and manager | 11,925 | 34.5% | 38.0% | $125,600 |
| Lawyer | 11,855 | 34.2% | 40.7% | $175,000 |
| Paralegal and legal assistant | 4,258 | 12.3% | 31.1% | $74,469 |
| Contracts manager and administrator | 4,161 | 12.0% | 34.4% | $114,333 |
| Legal operations specialist | 1,107 | 3.2% | 34.5% | $105,750 |
| Court and title support (court reporter, title examiner) | 684 | 2.0% | 26.2% | $53,040 |
Specialties in legal and compliance
The 18 specialties with the most US postings in legal and compliance, among those with at least 50, each as a share of its occupation's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Many postings name no specialty.
| Specialty | Occupation | Postings | Share of occupation | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory affairs | Compliance specialist and manager | 4,510 | 37.8% | $133,969 |
| Litigation | Lawyer | 3,435 | 29.0% | $150,025 |
| Corporate and commercial | Lawyer | 2,025 | 17.1% | $212,381 |
| Litigation | Paralegal and legal assistant | 1,566 | 36.8% | $72,800 |
| Healthcare compliance | Compliance specialist and manager | 1,093 | 9.2% | $122,465 |
| Commercial contracts | Contracts manager and administrator | 749 | 18.0% | $127,600 |
| Employment | Lawyer | 636 | 5.4% | $185,000 |
| Intellectual property | Lawyer | 575 | 4.9% | $213,200 |
| Regulatory | Lawyer | 567 | 4.8% | $209,220 |
| Financial crimes (AML, KYC) | Compliance specialist and manager | 531 | 4.5% | $114,003 |
| Corporate | Paralegal and legal assistant | 434 | 10.2% | $97,495 |
| Trade compliance | Compliance specialist and manager | 432 | 3.6% | $116,100 |
| Government contracts | Contracts manager and administrator | 388 | 9.3% | $116,450 |
| Privacy and data protection | Lawyer | 282 | 2.4% | $201,000 |
| Government and public interest | Lawyer | 266 | 2.2% | $119,096 |
| Privacy | Compliance specialist and manager | 261 | 2.2% | $142,000 |
| Ethics and policy | Compliance specialist and manager | 188 | 1.6% | $136,400 |
| Immigration | Paralegal and legal assistant | 163 | 3.8% | $71,760 |
Industries hiring for legal and compliance
The industries with the most US legal and compliance postings, each as a share of the field's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Each posting counts in its employer's industry.
| Industry | Postings | Share of field | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | 9,685 | 28.0% | $137,500 |
| Banking and financial services | 3,056 | 8.8% | $143,250 |
| Aerospace and defense | 2,275 | 6.6% | $135,500 |
| Government and public administration | 2,140 | 6.2% | $88,074 |
| Healthcare | 2,127 | 6.1% | $122,148 |
| Software and internet | 1,692 | 4.9% | $187,500 |
| Social services and nonprofits | 1,682 | 4.9% | $91,000 |
| Pharma, biotech and medical devices | 1,661 | 4.8% | $195,000 |
| Insurance | 1,335 | 3.9% | $135,000 |
| Education | 990 | 2.9% | $87,000 |
| Manufacturing and consumer goods | 932 | 2.7% | $119,000 |
| Retail and consumer brands | 843 | 2.4% | $162,000 |
Advertised pay pages for legal and compliance
The role families whose jobs are in legal and compliance, with their advertised pay, as of November 5, 2026.
| Role family | Median | Middle 50 percent | Postings with pay | Employers | Share that list pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | $150,000 | $95,000 to $200,000 | 8,149 | 2,926 | 36.4% |
Questions
- How many US job postings are in legal and compliance?
- 34,614 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 1.1% of the US postings we could place in a field.
- What do legal and compliance job postings pay?
- The median advertised base pay is $132,500 a year, and the middle 50 percent of postings that list pay run from $86,320 to $185,000. 12,902 of its 34,614 US postings list pay.
- Which legal and compliance occupations have the most job postings?
- The occupations with the most legal and compliance postings are compliance specialist and manager (34.5%), lawyer (34.2%), and paralegal and legal assistant (12.3%), each as a share of its US postings.