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The differences between general counsels and attorneys at law 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 attorney at law. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $108,018 average annual salary of an attorney at law.
The top three skills for a general counsel include litigation, legal issues and legal advice. The most important skills for an attorney at law are litigation, law firm, and legal research.
| General Counsel | Attorney At Law | |
| Yearly salary | $125,248 | $108,018 |
| Hourly rate | $60.22 | $51.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,275 | 7,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| 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 Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
General counsels and attorneys at law have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Counsel | Attorney At Law | |
| Average salary | $125,248 | $108,018 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $208,000 | Between $69,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Martin's Point Health Care | White and Williams |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a general counsel and an attorney at law in terms of educational background:
| General Counsel | Attorney At Law | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between general counsels' and attorneys at law' demographics:
| General Counsel | Attorney At Law | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |