Post job

District attorney vs deputy

The differences between district attorneys and deputies can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a district attorney has an average salary of $72,965, which is higher than the $53,682 average annual salary of a deputy.

The top three skills for a district attorney include pre-trial conferences, legal research and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a deputy are patrol, public safety, and transport inmates.

District attorney vs deputy overview

District AttorneyDeputy
Yearly salary$72,965$53,682
Hourly rate$35.08$25.81
Growth rate10%3%
Number of jobs13,37856,150
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4640
Years of experience4-

What does a district attorney do?

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.

What does a deputy do?

The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.

District attorney vs deputy salary

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

District AttorneyDeputy
Average salary$72,965$53,682
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $107,000Between $31,000 And $90,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyVentura County Community FoundationBarclays
Best paying industryProfessionalManufacturing

Differences between district attorney and deputy education

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

District AttorneyDeputy
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorLawCriminal Justice
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

District attorney vs deputy demographics

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

District AttorneyDeputy
Average age4640
Gender ratioMale, 45.6% Female, 54.4%Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 13.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage10%7%

Differences between district attorney and deputy 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.
  • Show more

Deputy example responsibilities.

  • Hire and manage credit officers responsible for Citigroup's new commodity derivatives business in Houston.
  • Service warrants, subpoenas and evictions, supervise interstate extraditions on special assignments.
  • POST certify, weapons certification, first aid and CPR certification.
  • Take part in ongoing training and firearms qualifications provide by the department in accordance with state regulations.
  • Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
  • Evaluate the performance of assign firefighting personnel.
  • Show more

District attorney vs deputy 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 deputy skills
  • Patrol, 20%
  • Public Safety, 9%
  • Transport Inmates, 6%
  • Emergency Situations, 5%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Federal Laws, 5%