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The differences between immigration specialists and legal externs 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 legal extern. Additionally, an immigration specialist has an average salary of $58,674, which is higher than the $47,238 average annual salary of a legal extern.
The top three skills for an immigration specialist include HR, immigration counsel and immigration law. The most important skills for a legal extern are litigation, legal intern, and legal issues.
| Immigration Specialist | Legal Extern | |
| Yearly salary | $58,674 | $47,238 |
| Hourly rate | $28.21 | $22.71 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,165 | 10,986 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Legal externs are law students who took the opportunity to do on-the-job training at a law firm. Instead of monetary compensation, they receive academic credits. Legal externs primarily engage in job shadowing. They are usually assigned mentors in the law firm, and they would shadow their mentors in their daily routines. Legal externs are exposed to the actual work done by lawyers. Legal externs are involved in cases, providing insights while building a solid case for their client, giving advice to clients, and representing clients under the supervision of the actual lawyers in the firm. They are usually not given administrative or clerical tasks since they are expected to do more tasks directly related to being a lawyer.
Immigration specialists and legal externs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Immigration Specialist | Legal Extern | |
| Average salary | $58,674 | $47,238 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $102,000 | Between $23,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Atlassian | Jones Day |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an immigration specialist and a legal extern in terms of educational background:
| Immigration Specialist | Legal Extern | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between immigration specialists' and legal externs' demographics:
| Immigration Specialist | Legal Extern | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0% |
| 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% |