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The differences between corporate attorneys and 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 attorney. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $109,476 average annual salary of an attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $109,476 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $52.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 10,991 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| 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.
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
Corporate attorneys and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $109,476 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $69,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Thompson Coburn |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and an attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |