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The differences between attorneys at law 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 attorney at law and a district attorney. Additionally, an attorney at law has an average salary of $108,018, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.
The top three skills for an attorney at law include litigation, law firm and legal research. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.
| Attorney At Law | District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $108,018 | $72,965 |
| Hourly rate | $51.93 | $35.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,025 | 13,378 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
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.
Attorneys at law and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney At Law | District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $108,018 | $72,965 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $166,000 | Between $49,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | White and Williams | Ventura County Community Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Professional |
There are a few differences between an attorney at law and a district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Attorney At Law | District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 52% | 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 attorneys at law' and district attorneys' demographics:
| Attorney At Law | District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | 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% |