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The differences between associate attorneys and staff attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate attorney and a staff attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $110,028 average annual salary of a staff attorney.
The top three skills for an associate attorney include litigation, law firm and discovery responses. The most important skills for a staff attorney are litigation, legal services, and juris.
| Associate Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $110,053 | $110,028 |
| Hourly rate | $52.91 | $52.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,183 | 75,402 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.
Associate attorneys and staff attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Average salary | $110,053 | $110,028 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $170,000 | Between $69,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Schiff Hardin | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an associate attorney and a staff attorney in terms of educational background:
| Associate Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between associate attorneys' and staff attorneys' demographics:
| Associate Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |