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The differences between immigration attorneys 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 an immigration attorney and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $80,187 average annual salary of an immigration attorney.
The top three skills for an immigration attorney include immigration law, business immigration and USCIS. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Immigration Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $80,187 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $38.55 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,703 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 47% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Dealing with immigration requirements can be a daunting task. An immigration attorney helps those who are struggling with these requirements. Functioning in this role means that they serve in an advisory capacity to foreign citizens and immigrants who are required to work with the country's immigration authorities. They are the go-to guy for immigrants in matters such as Visa applications, naturalization, employment, and deportation.
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.
Immigration attorneys and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Immigration Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $80,187 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $132,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Seyfarth Shaw | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an immigration attorney and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Immigration Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 47% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between immigration attorneys' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Immigration Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% 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% |