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The differences between corporate attorneys and associate 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 corporate attorney and an associate attorney. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $110,053 average annual salary of an associate attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Corporate Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| 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 associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
Corporate attorneys and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| 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, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |