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The differences between contract attorneys and assistant 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 contract attorney and an assistant district attorney. Additionally, a contract attorney has an average salary of $97,474, which is higher than the $73,970 average annual salary of an assistant district attorney.
The top three skills for a contract attorney include litigation, e-discovery and legal research. The most important skills for an assistant district attorney are felony cases, criminal justice, and criminal cases.
| Contract Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $97,474 | $73,970 |
| Hourly rate | $46.86 | $35.56 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,592 | 15,857 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An Assistant District Attorney helps the District Attorney, a government official. They represent the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses.
Contract attorneys and assistant district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $97,474 | $73,970 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $158,000 | Between $50,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Gwinnett Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a contract attorney and an assistant district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Contract Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between contract attorneys' and assistant district attorneys' demographics:
| Contract Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |