Corporate counsel vs attorney

The differences between corporate counsels 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 counsel and an attorney. Additionally, a corporate counsel has an average salary of $142,515, which is higher than the $109,476 average annual salary of an attorney.

The top three skills for a corporate counsel include legal issues, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.

Corporate counsel vs attorney overview

	Corporate Counsel	Attorney
Yearly salary	$142,515	$109,476
Hourly rate	$68.52	$52.63
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	14,913	10,991
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Doctoral Degree, 48%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a corporate counsel do?

A Corporate Counsel, also known as a corporate lawyer, works for a business or company providing legal advice to the employer. They usually work in the employers main office, but also can travel to participate in meetings, trials, and other legal proceedings.

What does an attorney do?

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 counsel vs attorney salary

Corporate counsels and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Counsel	Attorney
Average salary	$142,515	$109,476
Salary range	Between $98,000 And $207,000	Between $69,000 And $172,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	White Plains, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Perkins Coie	Thompson Coburn
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between corporate counsel and attorney education

There are a few differences between a corporate counsel and an attorney in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Counsel	Attorney
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Doctoral Degree, 48%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Corporate counsel vs attorney demographics

Here are the differences between corporate counsels' and attorneys' demographics:

	Corporate Counsel	Attorney
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	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%

Differences between corporate counsel and attorney duties and responsibilities

Corporate counsel example responsibilities.

Lead and conduct interrogatories and depositions.
Develop, implement and manage key business ethics programs including FCPA compliance and other anti-bribery/anti-kickback programs.
Manage all product liability, general commercial, environmental, intellectual property and real estate relate claims and litigation matters.
Manage all aspects of lease-relate litigation involving commercial, collection and personal injury lawsuits, including case planning and discovery processes.
Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Prepare corporate governance documentation, codes of ethics and negotiate acquisition, ventures and outsourcing.

Attorney example responsibilities.

Manage the death administration department with approximately thirty-five plus estates through trust administration, Medicaid estate recovery or probate.
Respond to subpoenas and pleadings in litigation and in regulatory inquiries and investigations involving corporate clients.
Represent employers before federal administrative agencies, including inspections, administrative litigation, court-enforcement actions and appeals.
Litigate personal injury, and general liability matters, worker's compensation, estate planning and litigation, environmental liability litigation.
Create and give a presentation regarding non- attorney ethics to division staff.
Comply with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity

Corporate counsel vs attorney skills

Common corporate counsel skills

Legal Issues, 9%
Litigation, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 6%
Legal Support, 6%
Legal Risks, 4%

Common attorney skills

Litigation, 19%
Legal Research, 9%
Law Firm, 8%
Legal Issues, 6%
Legal Advice, 5%
Juris, 4%

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Legal Industry
Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel vs Attorney

Updated January 8, 2025

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