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The differences between associate partners and contract 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 partner and a contract attorney. Additionally, an associate partner has an average salary of $145,385, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for an associate partner include digital transformation, analytics and cloud. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Associate Partner | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $145,385 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $69.90 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 32,405 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The job of an associate partner is similar to that of a partner. An associate partner will report to the partner and work to build strong client relationships and understand their concerns. You will typically perform various duties that include handling the partner's daily activities, monitoring the accounting procedures, and maintaining the confidentiality of the client's information. As an associate partner, you also have to advise on corporate governance and business reorganization and conducting assessments of in-house platforms that include evaluating portfolio accounting systems and client delivery.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Associate partners and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Partner | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $145,385 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $250,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between an associate partner and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Associate Partner | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between associate partners' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Associate Partner | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |