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The differences between legal editors 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 a legal editor and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $58,985 average annual salary of a legal editor.
The top three skills for a legal editor include law firm, legal issues and legal analysis. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Legal Editor | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $58,985 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $28.36 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,277 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A legal editor is responsible for editing executive orders and resolutions, copyreads and proofreads a government or a company's publication. They also ensure that all pertinent documentation is under the policies and standards of an organization, company, or law firm. This career includes having sufficient organizational and management skills, very keen on details, output-oriented, and good at decision making. Also, there are some legal editors who serve as managers in a law firm or company's social media.
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.
Legal editors and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Editor | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $58,985 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $103,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal editor and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Legal Editor | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between legal editors' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Legal Editor | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |