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The differences between corporate attorneys and district 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 district attorney. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.
| Corporate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $72,965 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $35.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 13,378 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Bachelor's 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.
District attorneys represent the government in court and prepare criminal prosecution cases. Besides partnering on criminal investigations and evaluating police reports, district attorneys also consult with alleged perpetrators, law enforcement, and judges. They uphold professional ethics, abide by the country's prosecution laws, and supervise and guide legal clerks and associates. Moreover, district attorneys prepare and file pre-trial motions, study case law, and gather enough evidence needed to prosecute alleged perpetrators in the court. Also, they assess legal merits to bring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators.
Corporate attorneys and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $72,965 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $49,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Ventura County Community Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and a district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and district attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% |
| 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, 5.4% 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% |