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Immigration specialist vs associate attorney

The differences between immigration specialists 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 specialist and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $58,674 average annual salary of an immigration specialist.

The top three skills for an immigration specialist include HR, immigration counsel and immigration law. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.

Immigration specialist vs associate attorney overview

Immigration SpecialistAssociate Attorney
Yearly salary$58,674$110,053
Hourly rate$28.21$52.91
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs4,1659,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an immigration specialist do?

To be an immigration specialist is to be at the center of all things foreign. Immigration specialists are tasked with assisting foreign nationals with the nitty-gritty of immigration and immigration procedures. They lead immigration programs, ensure all paperwork required both from immigration and Visa applications is completed, and process tax treaty evaluations. They are ultimately in charge of enforcing compliance with all immigration rules and regulations.

What does an associate attorney do?

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 specialist vs associate attorney salary

Immigration specialists and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Immigration SpecialistAssociate Attorney
Average salary$58,674$110,053
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $102,000Between $70,000 And $170,000
Highest paying CityCambridge, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyAtlassianSchiff Hardin
Best paying industryTechnologyProfessional

Differences between immigration specialist and associate attorney education

There are a few differences between an immigration specialist and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:

Immigration SpecialistAssociate Attorney
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Most common majorBusinessLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Immigration specialist vs associate attorney demographics

Here are the differences between immigration specialists' and associate attorneys' demographics:

Immigration SpecialistAssociate Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 24.8% Female, 75.2%Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between immigration specialist and associate attorney duties and responsibilities

Immigration specialist example responsibilities.

  • Case manage school-aged students as well as developed IEP's /conduct IEP conferences.
  • Manage permanent resident, citizenship, and other immigration applications for clients.
  • Achieve award for increasing efficiency by extensively communicating with debtors' attorneys and monitoring trustee activities on a daily basis.
  • Respond to the queries issue by DOL, USCIS, and NVC on various non-immigrant and immigrant visa issues.
  • Process new hires and re-hires in HRIS.
  • Enter new hire information in the ADP database.
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Associate attorney example responsibilities.

  • Provide litigation support for general civil and probate litigation at trial and appellate levels.
  • Attend arbitration hearings, conduct and attend depositions, and negotiate and evaluate settlements in arbitration and litigation disputes.
  • Participate in all phases of commercial and construction litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
  • Play instrumental role in all areas of litigation preparation, including authoring interrogatories, participating in depositions and preparing for trial.
  • Prepare briefs and counsele clients in matters pertaining to unemployment and workers' compensation, including hearings and appeals.
  • Represent contracting officers in administrative appeals.
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Immigration specialist vs associate attorney skills

Common immigration specialist skills
  • HR, 14%
  • Immigration Counsel, 6%
  • Immigration Law, 5%
  • Visa Applications, 5%
  • H-1B, 4%
  • Immigration Program, 4%
Common associate attorney skills
  • Litigation, 24%
  • Law Firm, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 9%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 3%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 3%
  • Legal Issues, 2%