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The differences between criminal justice lawyers and criminal defense lawyers 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 justice lawyer and a criminal defense lawyer. Additionally, a criminal defense lawyer has an average salary of $61,271, which is higher than the $49,977 average annual salary of a criminal justice lawyer.
The top three skills for a criminal justice lawyer include criminal justice, semester and public safety. The most important skills for a criminal defense lawyer are trial preparation, litigation, and law firm.
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Criminal Defense Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,977 | $61,271 |
| Hourly rate | $24.03 | $29.46 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 824 | 2,532 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Criminal justice lawyers and criminal defense lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Criminal Defense Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $49,977 | $61,271 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $76,000 | Between $35,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a criminal justice lawyer and a criminal defense lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Criminal Defense Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Richmond |
Here are the differences between criminal justice lawyers' and criminal defense lawyers' demographics:
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Criminal Defense Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |