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The differences between attorney law clerks and associate attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an attorney law clerk has an average salary of $112,527, which is higher than the $110,053 average annual salary of an associate attorney.
The top three skills for an attorney law clerk include litigation, discovery responses and settlement agreements. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $112,527 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $54.10 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,641 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An Attorney Law Clerk helps attorneys by assembling and organizing information for legal documents. They research and analyze law sources to prepare drafts of briefs or arguments for review and approval.
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
Attorney law clerks and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $112,527 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $174,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Reed Smith | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an attorney law clerk and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between attorney law clerks' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 54.3% 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, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |