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The differences between research attorneys and staff 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 staff counsel. Additionally, a research attorney has an average salary of $92,154, which is higher than the $67,876 average annual salary of a staff counsel.
The top three skills for a research attorney include litigation, legal issues and legal memoranda. The most important skills for a staff counsel are litigation, legal advice, and mental health.
| Research Attorney | Staff Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $92,154 | $67,876 |
| Hourly rate | $44.30 | $32.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 52,731 | 77,254 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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 staff attorney provides effective and reliable legal services to clients. They are also responsible for supervising attorneys. They use their legal expertise to help deal with the day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.
Research attorneys and staff counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Attorney | Staff Counsel | |
| Average salary | $92,154 | $67,876 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $146,000 | Between $41,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Merced, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Encore Capital Group |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a research attorney and a staff counsel in terms of educational background:
| Research Attorney | Staff Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research attorneys' and staff counsels' demographics:
| Research Attorney | Staff Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |