IP Counsel.
Houston.
$185,000
median salary, 5% below the national average
$144,000 to $241,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
An IP Counsel in Houston earns a median of $185,000 in 2026. That is 5% below the national average. The range runs from $144,000 to $241,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. IP Counsel compensation is driven by firm tier, practice area (M&A and private equity command the top of the market), and year of bar admission. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for IP Counsel in Houston, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $157,980 for Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, based on 16,810 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$80,210
25th percentile
$105,240
Median
$157,980
75th percentile
$243,930
90th percentile
$363,120
Workers surveyed
16,810
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) rather than IP Counsel specifically. The Houston range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 23-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $167,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$120,000
to $148,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$157,000
to $194,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$204,000
to $241,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$231,000
to $287,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $41,000 to the total package.
Base
$185,000
Equity
$22,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $226,000
How Houston compares.
Houston, TX
$185,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$195,000
Houston is $10,000 below
IP Counsel salary by city.
Salary by role in Houston.
What you should know.
The IP Counsel landscape in Houston is not what most salary sites will tell you. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong purchasing power. IP Counsel compensation is driven by firm tier, practice area (M&A and private equity command the top of the market), and year of bar admission. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 15% in a typical year. Within law, firm tier and practice area specialization drive the steepest variance, with Big Law and top boutique firms setting the ceiling.
IP Counsels progress Associate → Senior Associate → Counsel → Partner over 8 to 10 years at firms; in-house tracks progress Associate → Senior Counsel → Managing Counsel → General Counsel. Partner-track decisions happen around year 7 to 8. In Houston, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for IP Counsels runs roughly $224K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~15% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. In law, firm tier dictates total compensation structure — Big Law associates earn predictable lockstep salaries; in-house counsel typically trades lower base for equity. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $185,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for IP Counsels in Houston runs from $144,000 to $241,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
IP Counsel salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Houston.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"IP Counsel Salary in Houston, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ip-counsel/houston
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