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The differences between attorneys general 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 attorney general and a contract attorney. Additionally, an attorney general has an average salary of $101,302, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for an attorney general include legal advice, litigation and appeals. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Attorney General | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $101,302 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $48.70 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,813 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Attorney generals are one of the most important legal advisers for their government, state, or country. They provide legal advice and may be called on to advise ordinary citizens who may or may not be within the country's jurisdiction. Their power varies depending on the laws of the state or country. Most of them have special executive power related to the enforcement of laws. Attorney Generals also provide legal services to state departments and agencies.
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.
Attorneys general and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney General | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $101,302 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $157,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an attorney general and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Attorney General | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between attorneys general' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Attorney General | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.4% 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% |