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The differences between attorneys general and general counsels 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 general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $101,302 average annual salary of an attorney general.
The top three skills for an attorney general include legal advice, litigation and appeals. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| Attorney General | General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $101,302 | $125,248 |
| Hourly rate | $48.70 | $60.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,813 | 50,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
Attorneys general and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney General | General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $101,302 | $125,248 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $157,000 | Between $75,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Martin's Point Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between an attorney general and a general counsel in terms of educational background:
| Attorney General | General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between attorneys general' and general counsels' demographics:
| Attorney General | General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |