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The differences between associate attorneys 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 associate attorney and a district attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.
The top three skills for an associate attorney include litigation, law firm and discovery responses. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.
| Associate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $110,053 | $72,965 |
| Hourly rate | $52.91 | $35.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,183 | 13,378 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
District attorneys represent the government in court and prepare criminal prosecution cases. Besides partnering on criminal investigations and evaluating police reports, district attorneys also consult with alleged perpetrators, law enforcement, and judges. They uphold professional ethics, abide by the country's prosecution laws, and supervise and guide legal clerks and associates. Moreover, district attorneys prepare and file pre-trial motions, study case law, and gather enough evidence needed to prosecute alleged perpetrators in the court. Also, they assess legal merits to bring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators.
Associate attorneys and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $110,053 | $72,965 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $170,000 | Between $49,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Schiff Hardin | Ventura County Community Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an associate attorney and a district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Associate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between associate attorneys' and district attorneys' demographics:
| Associate Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |