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The differences between assistant state attorneys and general counsels 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 state attorney and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $82,255 average annual salary of an assistant state attorney.
The top three skills for an assistant state attorney include litigation, criminal cases and appeals. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| Assistant State Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $82,255 | $125,248 |
| Hourly rate | $39.55 | $60.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,855 | 50,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Assistant Staff Attorney performs a wide range of clerical and administrative work that requires knowledge of legal terms, documents, and procedures. They also communicate with clients to keep them informed on case progress.
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
Assistant state attorneys and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant State Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $82,255 | $125,248 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $122,000 | Between $75,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | State Attorney's Office | Martin's Point Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assistant state attorney and a general counsel in terms of educational background:
| Assistant State Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistant state attorneys' and general counsels' demographics:
| Assistant State Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% 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% |