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The differences between corporate attorneys and contract 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 a contract attorney. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Corporate Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 13,592 |
| 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.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Corporate attorneys and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Contract 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 contract attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |