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The differences between assistants general counsel and lawyers 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 general counsel and a lawyer. Additionally, an assistant general counsel has an average salary of $141,227, which is higher than the $115,808 average annual salary of a lawyer.
The top three skills for an assistant general counsel include legal advice, litigation and legal issues. The most important skills for a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Assistant General Counsel | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $141,227 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $67.90 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 58,508 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assistant general counsel helps the general counsel in giving professional legal services to an entity, such as protecting its legal affairs. He/She or she also helps stakeholders such as legal and executive managers and board of directors for the efficient execution of their roles. The position requires essential skills such as good research, analytical, interpersonal skills, and a keen eye for details. The education requirements for the job include obtaining a bachelor's or master's degree in law, business, political science, and a related field.
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Assistants general counsel and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant General Counsel | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $141,227 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $214,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Coty | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant general counsel and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant General Counsel | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistants general counsel' and lawyers' demographics:
| Assistant General Counsel | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |