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The differences between city attorneys and associate attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a city attorney and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $102,836 average annual salary of a city attorney.
The top three skills for a city attorney include litigation, legal research and legal advice. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| City Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $102,836 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $49.44 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,583 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A city attorney typically works for the government and focuses on giving legal advice to city leaders when it comes to various matters that affect the city. Their responsibilities include maintaining knowledge of the latest changes in state and federal laws, helping city officials and staff understand procedures, drafting and reviewing contracts and laws, and performing extensive research and analysis. There are also instances when a city attorney may provide legal advice to citizens and even represent government agencies.
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.
City attorneys and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| City Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $102,836 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $158,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a city attorney and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| City Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between city attorneys' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| City Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% 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 | 10% | 10% |