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The differences between contract attorneys and staff 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 contract attorney and a staff attorney. Additionally, a staff attorney has an average salary of $110,028, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a contract attorney include litigation, e-discovery and legal research. The most important skills for a staff attorney are litigation, legal services, and juris.
| Contract Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $97,474 | $110,028 |
| Hourly rate | $46.86 | $52.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,592 | 75,402 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.
Contract attorneys and staff attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Average salary | $97,474 | $110,028 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $158,000 | Between $69,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a contract attorney and a staff attorney in terms of educational background:
| Contract Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between contract attorneys' and staff attorneys' demographics:
| Contract Attorney | Staff Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |