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The differences between counselors and attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an attorney has an average salary of $109,476, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a counselor include patients, crisis intervention and substance abuse. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Counselor | Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $36,225 | $109,476 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $52.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 77,536 | 10,991 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
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.
Counselors and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor | Attorney | |
| Average salary | $36,225 | $109,476 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $67,000 | Between $69,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Thompson Coburn |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a counselor and an attorney in terms of educational background:
| Counselor | Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Law |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between counselors' and attorneys' demographics:
| Counselor | Attorney | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 9% | 10% |