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The differences between corporate counsels and staff 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 staff attorney. Additionally, a corporate counsel has an average salary of $142,515, which is higher than the $110,028 average annual salary of a staff attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate counsel include legal issues, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for a staff attorney are litigation, legal services, and juris.
| Corporate Counsel | Staff Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $142,515 | $110,028 |
| Hourly rate | $68.52 | $52.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 14,913 | 75,402 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| 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.
Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.
Corporate counsels and staff attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Counsel | Staff Attorney | |
| Average salary | $142,515 | $110,028 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $207,000 | Between $69,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a corporate counsel and a staff attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Counsel | Staff Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate counsels' and staff attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Counsel | Staff Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |