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The differences between district attorneys and city 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 district attorney and a city attorney. Additionally, a city attorney has an average salary of $102,836, 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 a city attorney are litigation, legal research, and legal advice.
| District Attorney | City Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $72,965 | $102,836 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $49.44 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,378 | 10,583 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A city attorney typically works for the government and focuses on giving legal advice to city leaders when it comes to various matters that affect the city. Their responsibilities include maintaining knowledge of the latest changes in state and federal laws, helping city officials and staff understand procedures, drafting and reviewing contracts and laws, and performing extensive research and analysis. There are also instances when a city attorney may provide legal advice to citizens and even represent government agencies.
District attorneys and city attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| District Attorney | City Attorney | |
| Average salary | $72,965 | $102,836 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $107,000 | Between $66,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Ventura County Community Foundation | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a district attorney and a city attorney in terms of educational background:
| District Attorney | City Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| 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 city attorneys' demographics:
| District Attorney | City Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| 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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |