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Attorney vs lawyer

The differences between attorneys and lawyers 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 and a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $109,476 average annual salary of an attorney.

The top three skills for an attorney include litigation, legal research and law firm. The most important skills for a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.

Attorney vs lawyer overview

AttorneyLawyer
Yearly salary$109,476$115,808
Hourly rate$52.63$55.68
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs10,9912,897
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an attorney do?

Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.

What does a lawyer do?

A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.

Attorney vs lawyer salary

Attorneys and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

AttorneyLawyer
Average salary$109,476$115,808
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $172,000Between $64,000 And $208,000
Highest paying CityWhite Plains, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyThompson CoburnNelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Best paying industry--

Differences between attorney and lawyer education

There are a few differences between an attorney and a lawyer in terms of educational background:

AttorneyLawyer
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Attorney vs lawyer demographics

Here are the differences between attorneys' and lawyers' demographics:

AttorneyLawyer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 49.9% Female, 50.1%Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between attorney and lawyer duties and responsibilities

Attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage the death administration department with approximately thirty-five plus estates through trust administration, Medicaid estate recovery or probate.
  • Respond to subpoenas and pleadings in litigation and in regulatory inquiries and investigations involving corporate clients.
  • Represent employers before federal administrative agencies, including inspections, administrative litigation, court-enforcement actions and appeals.
  • Litigate personal injury, and general liability matters, worker's compensation, estate planning and litigation, environmental liability litigation.
  • Create and give a presentation regarding non- attorney ethics to division staff.
  • Comply with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity
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Lawyer example responsibilities.

  • Participate in drafting legal documents and prepare business contracts, perform taxation duties for the enterprise and settle disputes with employees.
  • Handle all types of civil claims and provide notary services
  • Review of complaints relate to judicial ethics and employee misconduct.
  • Draft, proofread and ensure filing and service of criminal motions.
  • Draft a variety of pleadings and motions on behalf of the plaintiff.
  • Assist clients at the notary public office and negotiate licensing agreements for virtual data rooms.
  • Show more

Attorney vs lawyer skills

Common attorney skills
  • Litigation, 19%
  • Legal Research, 9%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 6%
  • Legal Advice, 5%
  • Juris, 4%
Common lawyer skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Law, 5%