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The differences between 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 attorney and a district attorney. Additionally, an attorney has an average salary of $109,476, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.
The top three skills for an attorney include litigation, legal research and law firm. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.
| Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $109,476 | $72,965 |
| Hourly rate | $52.63 | $35.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,991 | 13,378 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
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 and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $109,476 | $72,965 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $172,000 | Between $49,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | White Plains, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Thompson Coburn | Ventura County Community Foundation |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between an attorney and a district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | 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' and district attorneys' demographics:
| Attorney | District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |