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Solo practitioner vs lawyer

The differences between solo practitioners 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 solo practitioner and a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $97,581 average annual salary of a solo practitioner.

The top three skills for a solo practitioner include litigation, real estate transactions and probate. The most important skills for a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.

Solo practitioner vs lawyer overview

Solo PractitionerLawyer
Yearly salary$97,581$115,808
Hourly rate$46.91$55.68
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs23,6802,897
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

Solo practitioner vs lawyer salary

Solo practitioners and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Solo PractitionerLawyer
Average salary$97,581$115,808
Salary rangeBetween $60,000 And $157,000Between $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--

Differences between solo practitioner and lawyer education

There are a few differences between a solo practitioner and a lawyer in terms of educational background:

Solo PractitionerLawyer
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Solo practitioner vs lawyer demographics

Here are the differences between solo practitioners' and lawyers' demographics:

Solo PractitionerLawyer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 58.3% Female, 41.7%Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between solo practitioner and lawyer duties and responsibilities

Solo practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Represent clients in foreclosure proceedings.
  • Establish client centered practice for homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure.
  • Handle all aspects of litigation including hearings on temporary orders, restraining order proceedings, pretrial discovery including depositions and trial.
  • Represent plaintiffs in securities class actions.
  • Litigate cases involving complex federal governmental statutory benefits programs such as ERISA and Medicare.

Lawyer example responsibilities.

  • Participate in drafting legal documents and prepare business contracts, perform taxation duties for the enterprise and settle disputes with employees.
  • Handle all types of civil claims and provide notary services
  • Review of complaints relate to judicial ethics and employee misconduct.
  • Draft, proofread and ensure filing and service of criminal motions.
  • Draft a variety of pleadings and motions on behalf of the plaintiff.
  • Assist clients at the notary public office and negotiate licensing agreements for virtual data rooms.
  • Show more

Solo practitioner vs lawyer skills

Common solo practitioner skills
  • Litigation, 18%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 9%
  • Probate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 5%
  • Bench Trials, 5%
  • Criminal Defense, 5%
Common lawyer skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Law, 5%