Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between corporate attorneys and attorneys at law 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 attorney at law. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $108,018 average annual salary of an attorney at law.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for an attorney at law are litigation, law firm, and legal research.
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney At Law | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $108,018 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $51.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 7,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| 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 Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
Corporate attorneys and attorneys at law have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney At Law | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $108,018 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $69,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | White and Williams |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and an attorney at law in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney At Law | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and attorneys at law' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney At Law | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |