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The differences between assistant public defenders and contract 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 public defender and a contract attorney. Additionally, a contract attorney has an average salary of $97,474, which is higher than the $68,476 average annual salary of an assistant public defender.
The top three skills for an assistant public defender include appeals, litigation and legal research. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Assistant Public Defender | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $68,476 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $32.92 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 12,858 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Assistant Public Defender assists in the planning, administration, organization, and operation of the Public Defender's Office. They visit the crime scene to gather information and prepare case files.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Assistant public defenders and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Public Defender | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $68,476 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $97,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Columbus Consolidated Government | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant public defender and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Public Defender | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistant public defenders' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Assistant Public Defender | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.7% Female, 49.3% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% 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, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |