Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between associate attorneys and trial 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 trial attorney. Additionally, a trial attorney has an average salary of $110,340, which is higher than the $110,053 average annual salary of an associate attorney.
The top three skills for an associate attorney include litigation, law firm and discovery responses. The most important skills for a trial attorney are litigation, legal research, and property damage.
| Associate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $110,053 | $110,340 |
| Hourly rate | $52.91 | $53.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,183 | 7,253 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| 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.
Trial attorneys are responsible for representing and defending clients in court. Trial attorneys must have excellent legal research skills to assess pieces of evidence and examining relevant judicial decisions to support the client's claims. A trial attorney should also provide legal advice for the clients and guide them through the legal procedures depending on the severity of the case. Trial attorneys must be able to develop trial strategies and arguments in the court to win the judge and the trial jury's decision.
Associate attorneys and trial attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Average salary | $110,053 | $110,340 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $170,000 | Between $73,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Schiff Hardin | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an associate attorney and a trial attorney in terms of educational background:
| Associate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between associate attorneys' and trial attorneys' demographics:
| Associate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| 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, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |