Contract attorney demographics and statistics in the US
Contract attorney demographics research summary. Zippia estimates contract attorney demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our contract attorney estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about contract attorneys after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 235,839 contract attorneys currently employed in the United States.
- 49.1% of all contract attorneys are women, while 50.9% are men.
- The average contract attorney age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of contract attorneys is White (75.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- Contract attorneys are most in-demand in Atlanta, GA.
- San Ramon, CA pays an annual average wage of $116,000, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women contract attorneys earned 94% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for contract attorneys to live.
- Contract attorneys are 78% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Contract attorney demographics by:
Contract attorney gender statistics
49.1% of contract attorneys are women and 50.9% of contract attorneys are men.
- Male, 50.9%
- Female, 49.1%
Contract attorney gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 50.9% |
| Female | 49.1% |
Contract attorney gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$85,019
Female income
$80,146
Contract attorney gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in contract attorney positions over time. Currently, 49.1% of contract attorneys are female.
Contract attorney gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57.99% | 42.01% |
| 2011 | 57.18% | 42.82% |
| 2012 | 57.00% | 43.00% |
| 2013 | 56.37% | 43.63% |
| 2014 | 56.28% | 43.72% |
| 2015 | 53.60% | 46.40% |
| 2016 | 53.50% | 46.50% |
| 2017 | 53.61% | 46.39% |
| 2018 | 54.01% | 45.99% |
| 2019 | 53.29% | 46.71% |
| 2020 | 51.38% | 48.62% |
| 2021 | 50.95% | 49.05% |
Contract attorney related jobs gender ratio
We compared contract attorneys with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Contract Attorney | 51% | 49% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Contract attorney demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among contract attorneys is White, which makes up 75.9% of all contract attorneys. Comparatively, 7.7% of contract attorneys are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of contract attorneys are Asian.
- White, 75.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Contract attorney race
| Contract attorney race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Contract attorney race and ethnicity over time
See how contract attorney racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Contract attorney race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.52% | 5.05% | 4.71% | 5.90% |
| 2011 | 82.29% | 5.36% | 4.87% | 5.73% |
| 2012 | 82.37% | 4.99% | 5.04% | 5.92% |
| 2013 | 82.12% | 5.07% | 5.08% | 5.65% |
| 2014 | 81.46% | 5.58% | 5.31% | 5.80% |
| 2015 | 81.37% | 5.23% | 5.40% | 6.22% |
| 2016 | 80.80% | 5.30% | 5.55% | 6.50% |
| 2017 | 80.83% | 5.27% | 5.52% | 6.27% |
| 2018 | 80.19% | 5.45% | 5.45% | 6.89% |
| 2019 | 79.72% | 5.43% | 5.83% | 6.95% |
| 2020 | 77.20% | 5.33% | 6.14% | 7.10% |
| 2021 | 75.86% | 5.47% | 6.30% | 7.69% |
Contract attorney wage gap by race
According to our data, asian contract attorneys have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american contract attorneys have the lowest average salary at $81,271.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $84,329 |
| White | $86,647 |
| Black or African American | $81,271 |
| Asian | $90,562 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $82,596 |
Average contract attorney age
See how the average age of contract attorneys varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Contract attorney age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Contract attorney age breakdown
The average age of contract attorneys is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the contract attorney population.
Contract attorney age breakdown
| Contract Attorney Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Contract attorney educational attainment
The most common degree for contract attorneys is doctoral degree, with 57% of contract attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 36% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
- Doctorate, 57%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- Master's, 6%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
Contract attorneys by degree level
| Contract attorney degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 57% |
| Bachelor's | 36% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 0% |
Contract attorney jobs you might like
Contract attorney employment statistics
Most contract attorneys work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where contract attorneys work
Below, you can see the size of companies where contract attorneys work.
Contract attorney jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 11% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 19% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 16% |
Contract attorney jobs by company type
Employees with the contract attorney job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most contract attorneys prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Contract attorney jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 0% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 78% |
| Government | 4% |
Contract attorney jobs by industry
The most common industries for contract attorneys are professional, manufacturing and finance.
Contract attorney industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 58% |
| Fortune 500 | 9% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Contract attorney turnover and employment statistics
Contract attorney unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for contract attorneys between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Contract attorney unemployment rate by year
| Year | Contract attorney unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average contract attorney tenure
The average contract attorney stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 14,370 contract attorneys resumes in Zippia's database.
Contract attorney tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 50% |
| 1-2 years | 23% |
| 3-4 years | 6% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Contract attorney LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of contract attorneys that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Litigation Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 9,152 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Contract Attorney | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar contract attorney jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Litigation Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 9,152 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by contract attorneys
The most common foreign language among contract attorneys is Spanish at 39.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.1% and German is the third-most popular at 5.8%.
- Spanish, 39.8%
- French, 16.1%
- German, 5.8%
- Mandarin, 5.5%
- Portuguese, 5.4%
- Other, 27.4%
Contract attorney languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 39.8% |
| French | 16.1% |
| German | 5.8% |
| Mandarin | 5.5% |
| Portuguese | 5.4% |
| Other | 27.4% |
