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The differences between research attorneys and general counsels can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research attorney and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $92,154 average annual salary of a research attorney.
The top three skills for a research attorney include litigation, legal issues and legal memoranda. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| Research Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $92,154 | $125,248 |
| Hourly rate | $44.30 | $60.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 52,731 | 50,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A research attorney researches laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court. They also review jury notes and opinions and judiciary notes. Their duties and responsibilities also include verifying that all files, complaints, or other papers are available and in the proper order.
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
Research attorneys and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $92,154 | $125,248 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $146,000 | Between $75,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Martin's Point Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research attorney and a general counsel in terms of educational background:
| Research Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between research attorneys' and general counsels' demographics:
| Research Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% 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% |