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Director, Commercial Legal salary

What a Director, Commercial Legal (level M5, Director) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.

Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026

Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle

$369,500

Most companies pay between $292,000 and $447,000.

Median $370k $292k25th$447k75th

The shaded middle is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.

The full range

Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.

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Commercial Counsel pay by level

Median base salary, top-tier markets.

TitleMedian base
Associate Manager, Commercial LegalM2 Associate Manager$231k
Manager, Commercial LegalM3 Manager$269k
Senior Manager, Commercial LegalM4 Senior Manager$313k
Director, Commercial LegalM5 Director$370k
Senior Director, Commercial LegalM6 Senior Director$418k
VP, Commercial LegalE1 Vice President$484k

All Commercial Counsel levels

Related roles at M5

Questions

How much does a Director, Commercial Legal make?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Director, Commercial Legal is $369,500, with most companies paying between $292,000 and $447,000. Pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.

How do I know if I am underpaid?

Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.

Where do these numbers come from?

They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.