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The differences between general counsels and associate 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 general counsel and an associate attorney. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $110,053 average annual salary of an associate attorney.
The top three skills for a general counsel include litigation, legal issues and legal advice. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| General Counsel | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $125,248 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $60.22 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,275 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
General counsels and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Counsel | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $125,248 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $208,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Martin's Point Health Care | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a general counsel and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| General Counsel | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between general counsels' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| General Counsel | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% 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, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |