The survey -- published by legal profession recruiters The Counsel Network and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA) -- found the average basic salary of local in-house lawyers ranges from Can$129,000 ($130,000) for legal counsel to Can$155,000 for senior general counsel.

Regional variations

A report in the Montreal Gazette highlights the variation in wages by region and industry. The IT sector paid the highest salaries, averaging Can$184,000, while all wages in Alberta exceeded the country’s average by 6 per cent. The survey also found that Atlantic and Central Canada lagged behind the national average by more than 20 per cent.
Survey responses also showed that 48.2 hours was the average working week for in-house lawyers. Those in Vancouver took it relatively easy with an average 47.3 hour week, while their Montreal counterparts clocked in at 50.5 hours per week.