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The differences between contract attorneys and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contract attorney has an average salary of $97,474, which is higher than the $69,556 average annual salary of an associate.
The top three skills for a contract attorney include litigation, e-discovery and legal research. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.
| Contract Attorney | Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $97,474 | $69,556 |
| Hourly rate | $46.86 | $33.44 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 13,592 | 569,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
Contract attorneys and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Attorney | Associate | |
| Average salary | $97,474 | $69,556 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $158,000 | Between $34,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a contract attorney and an associate in terms of educational background:
| Contract Attorney | Associate | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Law | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between contract attorneys' and associates' demographics:
| Contract Attorney | Associate | |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |