Defense attorney demographics and statistics in the US
Defense attorney demographics research summary. Zippia estimates defense attorney demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our defense attorney estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about defense attorneys after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 252,159 defense attorneys currently employed in the United States.
- 47.9% of all defense attorneys are women, while 52.1% are men.
- The average defense attorney age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of defense attorneys is White (75.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.0%), Asian (6.5%) and Black or African American (5.7%).
- Defense attorneys are most in-demand in Los Angeles, CA.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for defense attorneys.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $130,541, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women defense attorneys earned 95% of what men earned.
- 10% of all defense attorneys are LGBT.
- California is the best state for defense attorneys to live.
- Defense attorneys are 67% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Defense attorney demographics by:
Defense attorney gender statistics
47.9% of defense attorneys are women and 52.1% of defense attorneys are men.
- Male, 52.1%
- Female, 47.9%
Defense attorney gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 52.1% |
| Female | 47.9% |
Defense attorney gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$92,383
Female income
$88,068
Defense attorney gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in defense attorney positions over time. Currently, 47.9% of defense attorneys are female.
Defense attorney gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.14% | 40.86% |
| 2011 | 58.35% | 41.65% |
| 2012 | 58.16% | 41.84% |
| 2013 | 57.54% | 42.46% |
| 2014 | 57.45% | 42.55% |
| 2015 | 54.78% | 45.22% |
| 2016 | 54.68% | 45.32% |
| 2017 | 54.79% | 45.21% |
| 2018 | 55.20% | 44.80% |
| 2019 | 54.47% | 45.53% |
| 2020 | 52.57% | 47.43% |
| 2021 | 52.14% | 47.86% |
Defense attorney related jobs gender ratio
We compared defense attorneys with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Defense Attorney | 52% | 48% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Defense attorney demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among defense attorneys is White, which makes up 75.1% of all defense attorneys. Comparatively, 8.0% of defense attorneys are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of defense attorneys are Asian.
- White, 75.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.0%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 5.7%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Defense attorney race
| Defense attorney race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 5.7% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Defense attorney race and ethnicity over time
See how defense attorney racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Defense attorney race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.74% | 5.30% | 4.95% | 6.17% |
| 2011 | 81.51% | 5.62% | 5.10% | 6.00% |
| 2012 | 81.58% | 5.24% | 5.27% | 6.19% |
| 2013 | 81.34% | 5.33% | 5.31% | 5.92% |
| 2014 | 80.67% | 5.83% | 5.54% | 6.07% |
| 2015 | 80.58% | 5.49% | 5.63% | 6.48% |
| 2016 | 80.01% | 5.55% | 5.79% | 6.77% |
| 2017 | 80.04% | 5.52% | 5.76% | 6.54% |
| 2018 | 79.40% | 5.70% | 5.68% | 7.16% |
| 2019 | 78.93% | 5.68% | 6.06% | 7.22% |
| 2020 | 76.42% | 5.58% | 6.37% | 7.37% |
| 2021 | 75.08% | 5.72% | 6.54% | 7.96% |
Defense attorney wage gap by race
According to our data, asian defense attorneys have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american defense attorneys have the lowest average salary at $89,068.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $91,775 |
| White | $93,815 |
| Black or African American | $89,068 |
| Asian | $97,236 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $90,244 |
Average defense attorney age
See how the average age of defense attorneys varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Defense attorney age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Defense attorney age breakdown
The average age of defense attorneys is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the defense attorney population.
Defense attorney age breakdown
| Defense Attorney Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Defense attorney educational attainment
The most common degree for defense attorneys is doctoral degree, with 50% of defense attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 40% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
- Doctorate, 50%
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Master's, 4%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Defense attorneys by degree level
| Defense attorney degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 50% |
| Bachelor's | 40% |
| Master's | 4% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Defense attorney jobs you might like
Defense attorney employment statistics
Most defense attorneys work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where defense attorneys work
Below, you can see the size of companies where defense attorneys work.
Defense attorney jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 36% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Defense attorney jobs by company type
Employees with the defense attorney job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most defense attorneys prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Defense attorney jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 67% |
| Government | 23% |
Defense attorney jobs by industry
The most common industries for defense attorneys are professional, government and retail.
Defense attorney industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 34% |
| Government | 18% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Insurance | 6% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Education | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Defense attorney turnover and employment statistics
Defense attorney unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for defense attorneys between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Defense attorney unemployment rate by year
| Year | Defense attorney unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average defense attorney tenure
The average defense attorney stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 817 defense attorneys resumes in Zippia's database.
Defense attorney tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Defense attorney LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of defense attorneys that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,642 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Defense Attorney | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar defense attorney jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,642 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by defense attorneys
The most common foreign language among defense attorneys is Spanish at 49.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.2% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.6%.
- Spanish, 49.2%
- French, 8.2%
- Chinese, 6.6%
- German, 6.6%
- Mandarin, 6.6%
- Other, 22.8%
Defense attorney languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 49.2% |
| French | 8.2% |
| Chinese | 6.6% |
| German | 6.6% |
| Mandarin | 6.6% |
| Other | 22.8% |
