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The differences between lawyers and contract attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lawyer and a contract attorney. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a lawyer include litigation, law firm and legal issues. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Lawyer | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,808 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $55.68 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 2,897 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Lawyers and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lawyer | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,808 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $208,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a lawyer and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Lawyer | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lawyers' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Lawyer | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% 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, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |