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The differences between corporate counsels 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 counsel and a contract attorney. Additionally, a corporate counsel has an average salary of $142,515, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate counsel include legal issues, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Corporate Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $142,515 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $68.52 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 14,913 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 counsels and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $142,515 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $207,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a corporate counsel and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate counsels' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% | 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% |