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The differences between city attorneys 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 a city attorney and a contract attorney. Additionally, a city attorney has an average salary of $102,836, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a city attorney include litigation, legal research and legal advice. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| City Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $102,836 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $49.44 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,583 | 13,592 |
| 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.
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.
City attorneys and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| City Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $102,836 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $158,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a city attorney and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| City Attorney | Contract 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 contract attorneys' demographics:
| City Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |