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The differences between legal editors and lawyers 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 a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Legal Editor | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,985 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $28.36 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,277 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
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.
Legal editors and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Editor | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $58,985 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $103,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a legal editor and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Legal Editor | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between legal editors' and lawyers' demographics:
| Legal Editor | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |