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The differences between lawyers and senior 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 senior attorney. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $111,002 average annual salary of a senior attorney.
The top three skills for a lawyer include litigation, law firm and legal issues. The most important skills for a senior attorney are litigation, law firm, and legal advice.
| Lawyer | Senior Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,808 | $111,002 |
| Hourly rate | $55.68 | $53.37 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 2,897 | 10,445 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 53% |
| 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 Senior Attorney supervises all activities of junior attorneys and deals with all complex legal transactions. They identify legal issues and offer businesses and their customers optimum solutions, as well as ensure that businesses respond appropriately to any legislative changes.
Lawyers and senior attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lawyer | Senior Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,808 | $111,002 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $208,000 | Between $67,000 And $183,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | Clifford Chance |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a lawyer and a senior attorney in terms of educational background:
| Lawyer | Senior Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lawyers' and senior attorneys' demographics:
| Lawyer | Senior Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.2% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |