Privacy / Data Counsel.
Phoenix.
$184,000
median salary, 7% below the national average
$142,000 to $240,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
The median Privacy / Data Counsel salary in Phoenix is $184,000, 7% below the national average. Entry level starts near $142,000. Experienced professionals push past $240,000. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metros in the U. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Privacy / Data Counsel in Phoenix, 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 $135,670 for Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area, based on 8,820 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$87,170
25th percentile
$103,160
Median
$135,670
75th percentile
$193,210
90th percentile
$291,750
Workers surveyed
8,820
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $184,000 is 36% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Lawyers covers a different population than the Privacy / Data Counsel title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) rather than Privacy / Data Counsel specifically. The Phoenix 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 $165,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$120,000
to $147,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$156,000
to $193,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$202,000
to $239,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$230,000
to $285,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $49,000 to the total package.
Base
$184,000
Equity
$28,000
Bonus
$17,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $233,000
How Phoenix compares.
Phoenix, AZ
$184,000
Cost of living: 4% below average
National Average
$198,000
Phoenix is $14,000 below
Privacy / Data Counsel salary by city.
Salary by role in Phoenix.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Privacy / Data Counsel roles in Phoenix, here is what you are walking into. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metros in the U.S., fueled by semiconductor manufacturing, financial services, and tech company expansions. Intel, TSMC, and other chipmakers have made massive investments in the area. The combination of affordable housing and rising salaries has made Phoenix increasingly attractive to relocating professionals. The expanding regulatory landscape across GDPR, CCPA, and emerging state privacy laws drives intense demand. Counsel with CIPP certification, cross-border transfer expertise, and AI governance experience command the highest premiums. Industry matters too, with fintech and health tech paying above average.
Privacy analysts start at $85,000 to $110,000. Mid-level privacy counsel earn $150,000 to $200,000. Chief Privacy Officers and VP-level privacy leaders at large tech firms earn $250,000 to $380,000 with substantial equity grants. In Phoenix, 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. Bonuses range from 15 to 25% at tech companies, with equity packages adding $50,000 to $150,000 in annual value. Many roles include privacy conference budgets, IAPP membership, and continuing education allowances. And on the tax side: arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax rate, one of the lowest in the nation. Phoenix has no additional city income tax, making overall take home pay very competitive. When someone quotes you $184,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the influx of semiconductor and tech employers to justify higher offers. Phoenix salaries are rising fast, and employers know they must compete with coastal recruiters. The range for Privacy / Data Counsels in Phoenix runs from $142,000 to $240,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- An IP Attorney in Phoenix earns $186,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Phoenix is CTO at $279,000
Common questions.
Privacy / Data Counsel salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Phoenix.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Privacy / Data Counsels in Phoenix.
Related tools.
Do you work as a privacy / data counsel in Phoenix?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Privacy / Data Counsel Salary in Phoenix, AZ." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/privacy-data-counsel/phoenix
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools