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The differences between assistant county attorneys and legal externs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant county attorney and a legal extern. Additionally, an assistant county attorney has an average salary of $103,838, which is higher than the $47,238 average annual salary of a legal extern.
The top three skills for an assistant county attorney include legal research, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for a legal extern are litigation, legal intern, and legal issues.
| Assistant County Attorney | Legal Extern | |
| Yearly salary | $103,838 | $47,238 |
| Hourly rate | $49.92 | $22.71 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,281 | 10,986 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assistant county attorney handles and represents cases involving the county. Part of their job includes assisting the county attorney by preparing and processing the necessary documents, conducting research and interviews, gathering and verifying pieces of evidence, and coordinating with staff as needed. They also participate in offering and providing legal advice to different departments and officials, including the public. Moreover, an assistant county attorney must maintain an active communication line with the office staff and the county attorney for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Legal externs are law students who took the opportunity to do on-the-job training at a law firm. Instead of monetary compensation, they receive academic credits. Legal externs primarily engage in job shadowing. They are usually assigned mentors in the law firm, and they would shadow their mentors in their daily routines. Legal externs are exposed to the actual work done by lawyers. Legal externs are involved in cases, providing insights while building a solid case for their client, giving advice to clients, and representing clients under the supervision of the actual lawyers in the firm. They are usually not given administrative or clerical tasks since they are expected to do more tasks directly related to being a lawyer.
Assistant county attorneys and legal externs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant County Attorney | Legal Extern | |
| Average salary | $103,838 | $47,238 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $156,000 | Between $23,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | West Seneca, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Anne Arundel County Public Schools | Jones Day |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an assistant county attorney and a legal extern in terms of educational background:
| Assistant County Attorney | Legal Extern | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistant county attorneys' and legal externs' demographics:
| Assistant County Attorney | Legal Extern | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |