Staff attorney demographics and statistics in the US
Staff attorney demographics research summary. Zippia estimates staff attorney demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our staff attorney estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about staff attorneys after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 296,196 staff attorneys currently employed in the United States.
- 52.5% of all staff attorneys are women, while 47.5% are men.
- The average staff attorney age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of staff attorneys is White (75.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- Staff attorneys are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for staff attorneys.
- 10% of all staff attorneys are LGBT.
On this page
Staff attorney demographics by:
Staff attorney gender statistics
52.5% of staff attorneys are women and 47.5% of staff attorneys are men.
- Female, 52.5%
- Male, 47.5%
Staff attorney gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 52.5% |
| Male | 47.5% |
Staff attorney gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$96,839
Female income
$91,646
Staff attorney gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in staff attorney positions over time. Currently, 52.5% of staff attorneys are female.
Staff attorney gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 54.61% | 45.39% |
| 2011 | 53.79% | 46.21% |
| 2012 | 53.60% | 46.40% |
| 2013 | 52.97% | 47.03% |
| 2014 | 52.87% | 47.13% |
| 2015 | 50.17% | 49.83% |
| 2016 | 50.07% | 49.93% |
| 2017 | 50.18% | 49.82% |
| 2018 | 50.59% | 49.41% |
| 2019 | 49.86% | 50.14% |
| 2020 | 47.95% | 52.05% |
| 2021 | 47.52% | 52.48% |
Staff attorney related jobs gender ratio
We compared staff attorneys with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Staff Attorney | 48% | 52% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Staff attorney demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among staff attorneys is White, which makes up 75.8% of all staff attorneys. Comparatively, 7.7% of staff attorneys are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of staff attorneys are Asian.
- White, 75.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Staff attorney race
| Staff attorney race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Staff attorney race and ethnicity over time
See how staff attorney racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Staff attorney race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.47% | 5.07% | 4.73% | 5.91% |
| 2011 | 82.24% | 5.38% | 4.88% | 5.75% |
| 2012 | 82.32% | 5.01% | 5.05% | 5.94% |
| 2013 | 82.07% | 5.09% | 5.09% | 5.67% |
| 2014 | 81.41% | 5.59% | 5.32% | 5.81% |
| 2015 | 81.32% | 5.25% | 5.41% | 6.23% |
| 2016 | 80.75% | 5.31% | 5.57% | 6.52% |
| 2017 | 80.78% | 5.29% | 5.54% | 6.29% |
| 2018 | 80.14% | 5.46% | 5.46% | 6.90% |
| 2019 | 79.67% | 5.44% | 5.84% | 6.97% |
| 2020 | 77.15% | 5.35% | 6.15% | 7.12% |
| 2021 | 75.82% | 5.48% | 6.32% | 7.71% |
Staff attorney wage gap by race
According to our data, asian staff attorneys have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american staff attorneys have the lowest average salary at $92,846.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $96,105 |
| White | $98,570 |
| Black or African American | $92,846 |
| Asian | $102,724 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $94,260 |
Average staff attorney age
See how the average age of staff attorneys varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Staff attorney age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Staff attorney age breakdown
The average age of staff attorneys is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the staff attorney population.
Staff attorney age breakdown
| Staff Attorney Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Staff attorney educational attainment
The most common degree for staff attorneys is doctoral degree, with 56% of staff attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 38% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
- Doctorate, 56%
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Master's, 4%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Staff attorneys by degree level
| Staff attorney degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 56% |
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| Master's | 4% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Staff attorney jobs you might like
Staff attorney employment statistics
Most staff attorneys work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where staff attorneys work
Below, you can see the size of companies where staff attorneys work.
Staff attorney jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Staff attorney jobs by company type
Employees with the staff attorney job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most staff attorneys prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Staff attorney jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 29% |
Staff attorney jobs by industry
The most common industries for staff attorneys are professional, government and non profits.
Staff attorney industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 51% |
| Government | 17% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Education | 4% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Staff attorney turnover and employment statistics
Staff attorney unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for staff attorneys between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Staff attorney unemployment rate by year
| Year | Staff attorney unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average staff attorney tenure
The average staff attorney stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,710 staff attorneys resumes in Zippia's database.
Staff attorney tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Staff attorney LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of staff attorneys that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Corporate Paralegal | 6.63% | 13,482 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Staff Attorney | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar staff attorney jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Corporate Paralegal | 6.63% | 13,482 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by staff attorneys
The most common foreign language among staff attorneys is Spanish at 53.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.3% and German is the third-most popular at 4.8%.
- Spanish, 53.1%
- French, 12.3%
- German, 4.8%
- Italian, 4.0%
- Arabic, 3.8%
- Other, 22.0%
Staff attorney languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 53.1% |
| French | 12.3% |
| German | 4.8% |
| Italian | 4.0% |
| Arabic | 3.8% |
| Other | 22.0% |
