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The differences between immigration specialists and general counsels 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 a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, 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 a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| Immigration Specialist | General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $58,674 | $125,248 |
| Hourly rate | $28.21 | $60.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,165 | 50,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Immigration specialists and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Immigration Specialist | General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $58,674 | $125,248 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $102,000 | Between $75,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Atlassian | Martin's Point Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an immigration specialist and a general counsel in terms of educational background:
| Immigration Specialist | General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between immigration specialists' and general counsels' demographics:
| Immigration Specialist | General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |