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District attorney vs county attorney

The differences between district attorneys and county 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 county attorney. Additionally, a county attorney has an average salary of $91,501, 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 county attorney are legal research, jury trials, and litigation.

District attorney vs county attorney overview

District AttorneyCounty Attorney
Yearly salary$72,965$91,501
Hourly rate$35.08$43.99
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs13,3786,224
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

District attorney vs county attorney salary

District attorneys and county attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

District AttorneyCounty Attorney
Average salary$72,965$91,501
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $107,000Between $61,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyVentura County Community Foundation-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between district attorney and county attorney education

There are a few differences between a district attorney and a county attorney in terms of educational background:

District AttorneyCounty Attorney
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillStanford University

District attorney vs county attorney demographics

Here are the differences between district attorneys' and county attorneys' demographics:

District AttorneyCounty Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 45.6% Female, 54.4%Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between district attorney and county attorney duties and responsibilities

District attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
  • Maintain legal files and filing/tracking systems on all court cases, appeals, invoices and billings.
  • Research, analyze and write response to an order to show cause in appeals proceeding.
  • Represent county officials in arbitration proceedings and employment litigation matters.
  • Prosecute misdemeanor caseload in criminal court through various stages of litigation up until trial
  • Calculate restitution, issue subpoenas, and contact victims regarding upcoming trials and other court determinations.
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County attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
  • Prepare, negotiate, and litigate hundreds of trials and appeals before courts and administrative agencies.
  • Facilitate service of investigative subpoenas.
  • Prepare elder abuse cases for prosecution and assist in litigation.
  • Prepare highly confidential subpoenas, criminal warrants, felony complaints and indictments.
  • Prosecute and defend complex litigation in all state and federal courts and administrative tribunals.
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District attorney vs county attorney skills

Common district attorney skills
  • Pre-Trial Conferences, 10%
  • Legal Research, 10%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Subpoenas, 5%
  • Criminal Cases, 4%
  • Felony Cases, 4%
Common county attorney skills
  • Legal Research, 11%
  • Jury Trials, 9%
  • Litigation, 7%
  • Legal Advice, 5%
  • Legal Issues, 5%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 4%