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The differences between corporate attorneys and assistants general counsel can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a corporate attorney and an assistant general counsel. Additionally, an assistant general counsel has an average salary of $141,227, which is higher than the $115,653 average annual salary of a corporate attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for an assistant general counsel are legal advice, litigation, and legal issues.
| Corporate Attorney | Assistant General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $141,227 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $67.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 58,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A corporate attorney is a corporate lawyer who acts as an agent representing a corporation's legal matters. Corporate attorneys represent the business transactions and operations and help their clients prevent expensive litigation. They advise business enterprises on their legal obligations, responsibilities, and rights. It is part of their job to recommend clients on business structures and provide an evaluation of their ventures. The lawyers are expected to develop strong communication skills, negotiation skills, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
An assistant general counsel helps the general counsel in giving professional legal services to an entity, such as protecting its legal affairs. He/She or she also helps stakeholders such as legal and executive managers and board of directors for the efficient execution of their roles. The position requires essential skills such as good research, analytical, interpersonal skills, and a keen eye for details. The education requirements for the job include obtaining a bachelor's or master's degree in law, business, political science, and a related field.
Corporate attorneys and assistants general counsel have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Assistant General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $141,227 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $93,000 And $214,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Coty |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and an assistant general counsel in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Assistant General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and assistants general counsel' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Assistant General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% |
| 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, 5.4% 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% |