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The differences between district attorneys and defense 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 defense attorney. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, 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 defense attorney are litigation, insurance defense, and law firm.
| District Attorney | Defense Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $72,965 | $103,209 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $49.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,378 | 6,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| 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 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.
District attorneys and defense attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| District Attorney | Defense Attorney | |
| Average salary | $72,965 | $103,209 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $107,000 | Between $69,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Ventura County Community Foundation | Taylor English Duma |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a district attorney and a defense attorney in terms of educational background:
| District Attorney | Defense Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| 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 defense attorneys' demographics:
| District Attorney | Defense Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% |
| 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, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |