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The differences between lawyers and public defenders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lawyer and a public defender. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $69,052 average annual salary of a public defender.
The top three skills for a lawyer include litigation, law firm and legal issues. The most important skills for a public defender are mental health, law enforcement, and criminal cases.
| Lawyer | Public Defender | |
| Yearly salary | $115,808 | $69,052 |
| Hourly rate | $55.68 | $33.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 2,897 | 11,673 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Public Defenders have a career choice whose scope is simple but contains a complex educational background for the level of work involved. This position calls upon those with strong multitasking, interpersonal skills, and a great deal of confidence for the workload. To qualify for this position, a degree with a focus on criminal defense law is required. They are absolutely indispensable for an appointee in trials to represent people who would otherwise not be able to afford an attorney to defend themselves.
Lawyers and public defenders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lawyer | Public Defender | |
| Average salary | $115,808 | $69,052 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $208,000 | Between $48,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | United States Courts |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a lawyer and a public defender in terms of educational background:
| Lawyer | Public Defender | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between lawyers' and public defenders' demographics:
| Lawyer | Public Defender | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |