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The differences between criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a criminal defense lawyer and a prosecutor. Additionally, a prosecutor has an average salary of $68,988, which is higher than the $61,271 average annual salary of a criminal defense lawyer.
The top three skills for a criminal defense lawyer include trial preparation, litigation and law firm. The most important skills for a prosecutor are jury trials, legal research, and criminal cases.
| Criminal Defense Lawyer | Prosecutor | |
| Yearly salary | $61,271 | $68,988 |
| Hourly rate | $29.46 | $33.17 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 2,532 | 749 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Defense Lawyer | Prosecutor | |
| Average salary | $61,271 | $68,988 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $105,000 | Between $48,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a criminal defense lawyer and a prosecutor in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Defense Lawyer | Prosecutor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | University of Richmond | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between criminal defense lawyers' and prosecutors' demographics:
| Criminal Defense Lawyer | Prosecutor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |