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The differences between deputy chief 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 deputy chief counsel and a contract attorney. Additionally, a deputy chief counsel has an average salary of $129,999, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a deputy chief counsel include legal advice, administrative law and IRS. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Deputy Chief Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $129,999 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $62.50 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 22,780 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Deputy Chief Counsels are responsible for directing and overseeing legal operations in a governmental department or a company. Their duties include acting as second in command in the absence of the chief counsel, supervising other legal programs, building a relationship with external constituencies and legal government departments, acting as a legal representative for a company or government, and developing attorney-client relationship policies. They also formulate legal representation strategies, provide legal advice to board members, assist with public and government inquiries, and administer legal budgeting.
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.
Deputy chief counsels and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Deputy Chief Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $129,999 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $193,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Agenus | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Media | - |
There are a few differences between a deputy chief counsel and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Deputy Chief Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between deputy chief counsels' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Deputy Chief Counsel | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% 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% |