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City attorney vs council member

The differences between city attorneys and council members 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 council member. Additionally, a city attorney has an average salary of $102,836, which is higher than the $42,134 average annual salary of a council member.

The top three skills for a city attorney include litigation, legal research and legal advice. The most important skills for a council member are public policy, finance committee, and community outreach.

City attorney vs council member overview

City AttorneyCouncil Member
Yearly salary$102,836$42,134
Hourly rate$49.44$20.26
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs10,5835,130
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

City attorney vs council member salary

City attorneys and council members have different pay scales, as shown below.

City AttorneyCouncil Member
Average salary$102,836$42,134
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $158,000Between $11,000 And $155,000
Highest paying CityRedwood City, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyIcma-rc-
Best paying industryFinance-

Differences between city attorney and council member education

There are a few differences between a city attorney and a council member in terms of educational background:

City AttorneyCouncil Member
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorLawBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

City attorney vs council member demographics

Here are the differences between city attorneys' and council members' demographics:

City AttorneyCouncil Member
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 53.4% Female, 46.6%Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between city attorney and council member duties and responsibilities

City attorney example responsibilities.

  • Handle diverse general litigation practice in construction defect, product liability, contracts, municipal law and anti-discrimination enforcement.
  • Order subpoenas, certify driving records and accident reports.
  • Oversee responses to subpoenas, government requests and public records requests.
  • Provide counsel and advice to DHS employees regarding statutes, regulations, and policies that govern the child welfare system.
  • Prosecute civil service appeals of discipline city employees.
  • Represent departments in grievance appeals and arbitration proceedings.
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Council member example responsibilities.

  • Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
  • Participate under a full athletic scholarship.
  • Strengthen interpersonal communications, administrative, and leadership skills
  • Review incoming applications; conduct personal interviews with requesting teen groups.
  • Expand on incentive plans to recognize members who assume leadership roles and excel academically.
  • Identify strategies and programs to improve information technology and credit card operations, ensuring efficiency and compliance with banking governance.
  • Show more

City attorney vs council member skills

Common city attorney skills
  • Litigation, 11%
  • Legal Research, 10%
  • Legal Advice, 7%
  • Legal Issues, 5%
  • Municipal Law, 4%
  • District Court, 4%
Common council member skills
  • Public Policy, 15%
  • Finance Committee, 9%
  • Community Outreach, 8%
  • Alumni, 7%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Educational Programs, 4%