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The differences between defense 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 defense attorney and an assistant district attorney. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, which is higher than the $73,970 average annual salary of an assistant district attorney.
The top three skills for a defense attorney include litigation, insurance defense and law firm. The most important skills for an assistant district attorney are felony cases, criminal justice, and criminal cases.
| Defense Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $103,209 | $73,970 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $35.56 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,557 | 15,857 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An Assistant District Attorney helps the District Attorney, a government official. They represent the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses.
Defense attorneys and assistant district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $103,209 | $73,970 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $152,000 | Between $50,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Taylor English Duma | Gwinnett Center |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a defense attorney and an assistant district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Defense Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between defense attorneys' and assistant district attorneys' demographics:
| Defense Attorney | Assistant District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |