Post job

Commonwealth attorney vs district attorney

The differences between commonwealth 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 a commonwealth attorney and a district attorney. Additionally, a commonwealth attorney has an average salary of $84,845, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.

The top three skills for a commonwealth attorney include legal research, criminal cases and district court. The most important skills for a district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.

Commonwealth attorney vs district attorney overview

Commonwealth AttorneyDistrict Attorney
Yearly salary$84,845$72,965
Hourly rate$40.79$35.08
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs5,84113,378
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

Commonwealth attorney vs district attorney salary

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

Commonwealth AttorneyDistrict Attorney
Average salary$84,845$72,965
Salary rangeBetween $56,000 And $127,000Between $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 commonwealth attorney and district attorney education

There are a few differences between a commonwealth attorney and a district attorney in terms of educational background:

Commonwealth AttorneyDistrict Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Commonwealth attorney vs district attorney demographics

Here are the differences between commonwealth attorneys' and district attorneys' demographics:

Commonwealth AttorneyDistrict Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 49.4% Female, 50.6%Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% 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 commonwealth attorney and district attorney duties and responsibilities

Commonwealth attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
  • Case preparation and prosecution for DUI, larceny, drug possession, and other crimes
  • Draft dispositive motions, discovery motions, pleadings, initial disclosures, respond to discovery requests and interrogatories.
  • Appeal of deny Medicaid eligibility; settlement result in reinstatement of Medicaid eligibility and services.

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

Commonwealth attorney vs district attorney skills

Common commonwealth attorney skills
  • Legal Research, 15%
  • Criminal Cases, 12%
  • District Court, 11%
  • Domestic Relations, 9%
  • Criminal Law, 6%
  • Law Enforcement Officials, 4%
Common district attorney skills
  • Pre-Trial Conferences, 10%
  • Legal Research, 10%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Subpoenas, 5%
  • Criminal Cases, 4%
  • Felony Cases, 4%