General counsel vs associate

The differences between general counsels and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $69,556 average annual salary of an associate.

The top three skills for a general counsel include litigation, legal issues and legal advice. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.

General counsel vs associate overview

	General Counsel	Associate
Yearly salary	$125,248	$69,556
Hourly rate	$60.22	$33.44
Growth rate	10%	-
Number of jobs	50,275	569,041
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	46	41
Years of experience	4	-

What does a general counsel do?

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.

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

General counsel vs associate salary

General counsels and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Counsel	Associate
Average salary	$125,248	$69,556
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $208,000	Between $34,000 And $140,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Martin's Point Health Care	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between general counsel and associate education

There are a few differences between a general counsel and an associate in terms of educational background:

	General Counsel	Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Law	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

General counsel vs associate demographics

Here are the differences between general counsels' and associates' demographics:

	General Counsel	Associate
Average age	46	41
Gender ratio	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between general counsel and associate duties and responsibilities

General counsel example responsibilities.

Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.

Associate example responsibilities.

Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
Work according to ISO standards.

General counsel vs associate skills

Common general counsel skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Issues, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 5%
Risk Management, 4%
Ethics, 4%

Common associate skills

Customer Service, 16%
Sales Floor, 13%
Patients, 10%
Cleanliness, 8%
Windows, 4%
HR, 4%

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Legal Industry
General Counsel
General Counsel vs Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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