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Assistant prosecutor vs district attorney

The differences between assistant prosecutors and district attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant prosecutor and a district attorney. Additionally, an assistant prosecutor has an average salary of $77,109, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.

The top three skills for an assistant prosecutor include jury trials, appeals and motion practice. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.

Assistant prosecutor vs district attorney overview

Assistant ProsecutorDistrict Attorney
Yearly salary$77,109$72,965
Hourly rate$37.07$35.08
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs1,73213,378
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

Assistant prosecutor vs district attorney salary

Assistant prosecutors and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant ProsecutorDistrict Attorney
Average salary$77,109$72,965
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $110,000Between $49,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Ventura County Community Foundation
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between assistant prosecutor and district attorney education

There are a few differences between an assistant prosecutor and a district attorney in terms of educational background:

Assistant ProsecutorDistrict Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Assistant prosecutor vs district attorney demographics

Here are the differences between assistant prosecutors' and district attorneys' demographics:

Assistant ProsecutorDistrict Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 60.4% Female, 39.6%Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% 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 assistant prosecutor and district attorney duties and responsibilities

Assistant prosecutor example responsibilities.

  • Manage homicide cases from investigation stage to trial including complex plea negotiations with other government agencies and the defense bar.
  • Represent various county officials and departments in matters of civil litigation.
  • Draft various legal documents during the course of criminal prosecutions including search warrants, subpoenas, motions, and briefs.
  • Provide presentation and legal defense of insure persons in personal injury actions through mediation and/or trial.
  • Serve as an associate attorney and in-house counsel for various offices.

District attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
  • Maintain legal files and filing/tracking systems on all court cases, appeals, invoices and billings.
  • Research, analyze and write response to an order to show cause in appeals proceeding.
  • Represent county officials in arbitration proceedings and employment litigation matters.
  • Prosecute misdemeanor caseload in criminal court through various stages of litigation up until trial
  • Calculate restitution, issue subpoenas, and contact victims regarding upcoming trials and other court determinations.
  • Show more

Assistant prosecutor vs district attorney skills

Common assistant prosecutor skills
  • Jury Trials, 24%
  • Appeals, 9%
  • Motion Practice, 7%
  • Criminal Cases, 6%
  • Litigation, 5%
  • Police Reports, 3%
Common district attorney skills
  • Pre-Trial Conferences, 10%
  • Legal Research, 10%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Subpoenas, 5%
  • Criminal Cases, 4%
  • Felony Cases, 4%