{
  "id": 12343730,
  "title": "Women top lawyers now out-earn men by 16% at America’s biggest companies—even as their share of the job slips",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/women-top-lawyers-now-out-earn-men-by-16-at-americas-biggest",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-06T09:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/06/women-top-lawyers-salary-data-american-companies-share-of-job-slips/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Women now hold the highest-paying executive role in many of America's largest companies, with general counsel earning a 16% higher median pay than their male counterparts. This shift came despite women holding a smaller share of these positions, with the share of female general counsel roles falling from 34.9% to 33.5% between 2020 and 2024. The pay gap is primarily driven by larger stock awards, with women securing higher equity grants. This trend stands in stark contrast to the broader pattern where men out-earn women in almost every occupational category. The general counsel role has grown in importance and compensation, with median compensation rising from $2.8 million in 2020 to $3.4 million in 2024 due to expanding legal responsibilities. Experts attribute the growing gender pay gap to fewer highly qualified women reaching the top legal role at major corporations and intense competition for these positions.",
  "summary": "Female legal chiefs at the largest U.S. public companies were paid more than their male peers in 2025, with stock awards driving the gap. But fewer women are landing the role.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}