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Tax attorney vs lawyer

The differences between tax attorneys 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 tax attorney and a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.

Tax attorney vs lawyer overview

Tax AttorneyLawyer
Yearly salary$85,681$115,808
Hourly rate$41.19$55.68
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs33,7602,897
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
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 a lawyer do?

A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.

Tax attorney vs lawyer salary

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

Tax AttorneyLawyer
Average salary$85,681$115,808
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $146,000Between $64,000 And $208,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & FeldNelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Best paying industry--

Differences between tax attorney and lawyer education

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

Tax AttorneyLawyer
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaStanford University

Tax attorney vs lawyer demographics

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

Tax AttorneyLawyer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 62.7% Female, 37.3%Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
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, 5.4% 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 tax attorney and lawyer 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.

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

Tax attorney vs lawyer skills

Common tax attorney skills
  • Litigation, 13%
  • Law Firm, 12%
  • Real Estate, 8%
  • Taxation, 5%
  • International Tax, 4%
  • IRS, 4%
Common lawyer skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Law, 5%