Post job

Tax attorney vs associate attorney

The differences between tax attorneys and associate attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a tax attorney and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $85,681 average annual salary of a tax attorney.

The top three skills for a tax attorney include litigation, law firm and real estate. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.

Tax attorney vs associate attorney overview

Tax AttorneyAssociate Attorney
Yearly salary$85,681$110,053
Hourly rate$41.19$52.91
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs33,7609,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a tax attorney do?

A tax attorney specializes in assisting clients in understanding tax laws. Their responsibilities typically revolve around conducting extensive research, meeting with clients to conduct initial assessments and interviews, understanding their needs, and helping them make business decisions by providing legal taxation advice. A tax attorney may also help clients to find ways to minimize their tax deductions. Furthermore, aside from working with individuals, a tax attorney may also work for companies as part of their legal team.

What does an associate attorney do?

An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.

Tax attorney vs associate attorney salary

Tax attorneys and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tax AttorneyAssociate Attorney
Average salary$85,681$110,053
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $146,000Between $70,000 And $170,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & FeldSchiff Hardin
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between tax attorney and associate attorney education

There are a few differences between a tax attorney and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:

Tax AttorneyAssociate Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaStanford University

Tax attorney vs associate attorney demographics

Here are the differences between tax attorneys' and associate attorneys' demographics:

Tax AttorneyAssociate Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 62.7% Female, 37.3%Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between tax attorney and associate attorney duties and responsibilities

Tax attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage the death administration department with approximately thirty-five plus estates through trust administration, Medicaid estate recovery or probate.
  • Review IRS propose regulations, advisory letters and technical advice memorandums for tax litigation.
  • Probate practice - estates and protect individuals.
  • Participate in legal document review and compliance for large complex civil litigation matters.
  • Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
  • Handle all aspects of discovery including preparing interrogatories, document requests, taking and defending depositions and responding to discovery requests.

Associate attorney example responsibilities.

  • Provide litigation support for general civil and probate litigation at trial and appellate levels.
  • Attend arbitration hearings, conduct and attend depositions, and negotiate and evaluate settlements in arbitration and litigation disputes.
  • Participate in all phases of commercial and construction litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
  • Play instrumental role in all areas of litigation preparation, including authoring interrogatories, participating in depositions and preparing for trial.
  • Prepare briefs and counsele clients in matters pertaining to unemployment and workers' compensation, including hearings and appeals.
  • Represent contracting officers in administrative appeals.
  • Show more

Tax attorney vs associate attorney skills

Common tax attorney skills
  • Litigation, 13%
  • Law Firm, 12%
  • Real Estate, 8%
  • Taxation, 5%
  • International Tax, 4%
  • IRS, 4%
Common associate attorney skills
  • Litigation, 24%
  • Law Firm, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 9%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 3%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 3%
  • Legal Issues, 2%