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The differences between city 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 a city attorney and a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| City Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,836 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $49.44 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,583 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 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.
City attorneys and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| City Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $102,836 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $158,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a city attorney and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| City Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between city attorneys' and lawyers' demographics:
| City Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |