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The differences between defense analysts and defense attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a defense analyst, becoming a defense attorney takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, which is higher than the $86,453 average annual salary of a defense analyst.
The top three skills for a defense analyst include incident response, DOD and windows. The most important skills for a defense attorney are litigation, insurance defense, and law firm.
| Defense Analyst | Defense Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $86,453 | $103,209 |
| Hourly rate | $41.56 | $49.62 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 24,879 | 6,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A defense analyst specializes in developing programs and policies about national security and safety. They usually work for the military, government agencies, private firms, and even the Department of Defense. Their responsibilities focus on conducting extensive research, analyzing military procedures and operations, assessing threats, identifying potential risks, and studying the current laws and policies, recommending solutions to optimize processes, solve issues, or prevent problems. Moreover, through their research, a defense analyst develops conclusions that will help offices in making decisions.
A defense attorney serves as an advocate for individuals accused of committing crimes, representing and defending them at court to prove their innocence or negotiate plea bargains. As a defense attorney, they are responsible for studying everything about the case, preparing legal documents, gathering evidence, conducting interviews with the client and potential witnesses, coordinating with paralegals, and developing different strategies to defend the client during the court proceedings. They also provide counseling to clients, offer legal advice, give them updates about the case, and help them understand the procedures and risks.
Defense analysts and defense attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Analyst | Defense Attorney | |
| Average salary | $86,453 | $103,209 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $114,000 | Between $69,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Taylor English Duma |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a defense analyst and a defense attorney in terms of educational background:
| Defense Analyst | Defense Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between defense analysts' and defense attorneys' demographics:
| Defense Analyst | Defense Attorney | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |