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Attorney at law vs associate

The differences between attorneys at law and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an attorney at law has an average salary of $108,018, which is higher than the $69,556 average annual salary of an associate.

The top three skills for an attorney at law include litigation, law firm and legal research. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.

Attorney at law vs associate overview

Attorney At LawAssociate
Yearly salary$108,018$69,556
Hourly rate$51.93$33.44
Growth rate10%-
Number of jobs7,025569,041
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4641
Years of experience4-

What does an attorney at law do?

An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

Attorney at law vs associate salary

Attorneys at law and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Attorney At LawAssociate
Average salary$108,018$69,556
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $166,000Between $34,000 And $140,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyWhite and WilliamsSimpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industryRetail-

Differences between attorney at law and associate education

There are a few differences between an attorney at law and an associate in terms of educational background:

Attorney At LawAssociate
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorLawBusiness
Most common collegeStanford University-

Attorney at law vs associate demographics

Here are the differences between attorneys at law' and associates' demographics:

Attorney At LawAssociate
Average age4641
Gender ratioMale, 54.6% Female, 45.4%Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage10%7%

Differences between attorney at law and associate duties and responsibilities

Attorney at law example responsibilities.

  • Manage a civil practice focuse primarily on representing claimants in securities arbitration proceedings.
  • Support tort, real estate, probate, appellate, and business litigation with outside counsel in California.
  • Sole practice of law in the areas of corporate, juvenile matters, probate, real estate, securities and taxation.
  • File garnishment actions; defend tenants, landlords and assort other parties in proceedings in small claims and landlord tenant courts.
  • Document review for internal investigation of FDA filing practices
  • Advise technical, scientific and regulatory personnel on FDA legal requirements.
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Associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
  • Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
  • Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
  • Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
  • Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
  • Work according to ISO standards.
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Attorney at law vs associate skills

Common attorney at law skills
  • Litigation, 23%
  • Law Firm, 10%
  • Legal Research, 7%
  • Juris, 4%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 3%
  • Trial Preparation, 3%
Common associate skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Patients, 10%
  • Cleanliness, 8%
  • Windows, 4%
  • HR, 4%