Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between district attorneys and attorneys general can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a district attorney and an attorney general. Additionally, an attorney general has an average salary of $101,302, which is higher than the $72,965 average annual salary of a district attorney.
The top three skills for a district attorney include pre-trial conferences, legal research and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for an attorney general are legal advice, litigation, and appeals.
| District Attorney | Attorney General | |
| Yearly salary | $72,965 | $101,302 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $48.70 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,378 | 47,813 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
District attorneys represent the government in court and prepare criminal prosecution cases. Besides partnering on criminal investigations and evaluating police reports, district attorneys also consult with alleged perpetrators, law enforcement, and judges. They uphold professional ethics, abide by the country's prosecution laws, and supervise and guide legal clerks and associates. Moreover, district attorneys prepare and file pre-trial motions, study case law, and gather enough evidence needed to prosecute alleged perpetrators in the court. Also, they assess legal merits to bring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators.
Attorney generals are one of the most important legal advisers for their government, state, or country. They provide legal advice and may be called on to advise ordinary citizens who may or may not be within the country's jurisdiction. Their power varies depending on the laws of the state or country. Most of them have special executive power related to the enforcement of laws. Attorney Generals also provide legal services to state departments and agencies.
District attorneys and attorneys general have different pay scales, as shown below.
| District Attorney | Attorney General | |
| Average salary | $72,965 | $101,302 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $107,000 | Between $65,000 And $157,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Ventura County Community Foundation | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a district attorney and an attorney general in terms of educational background:
| District Attorney | Attorney General | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between district attorneys' and attorneys general' demographics:
| District Attorney | Attorney General | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% 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, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |