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The differences between district attorneys and general counsels 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 general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, 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 general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| District Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $72,965 | $125,248 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $60.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,378 | 50,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
District attorneys and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| District Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average salary | $72,965 | $125,248 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $107,000 | Between $75,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Ventura County Community Foundation | Martin's Point Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a district attorney and a general counsel in terms of educational background:
| District Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 general counsels' demographics:
| District Attorney | General Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| 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, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |