Prosecutor vs judge

The differences between prosecutors and judges can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a prosecutor, becoming a judge takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a judge has an average salary of $123,457, which is higher than the $68,988 average annual salary of a prosecutor.

The top three skills for a prosecutor include jury trials, legal research and criminal cases. The most important skills for a judge are legal issues, civil law, and international law.

Prosecutor vs judge overview

	Prosecutor	Judge
Yearly salary	$68,988	$123,457
Hourly rate	$33.17	$59.35
Growth rate	10%	-1%
Number of jobs	749	1,026
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	10

Prosecutor vs judge salary

Prosecutors and judges have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Prosecutor	Judge
Average salary	$68,988	$123,457
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $98,000	Between $68,000 And $222,000
Highest paying City	-	Jacksonville, FL
Highest paying state	-	New Mexico
Best paying company	-	United States Courts
Best paying industry	-	Media

Differences between prosecutor and judge education

There are a few differences between a prosecutor and a judge in terms of educational background:

	Prosecutor	Judge
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Prosecutor vs judge demographics

Here are the differences between prosecutors' and judges' demographics:

	Prosecutor	Judge
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%	Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between prosecutor and judge duties and responsibilities

Prosecutor example responsibilities.

Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
Draft findings for defendants to stand trial, appeals and dismissals.
Type various legal documents, including complaints, journal entries, and subpoenas.
Draft subpoenas, warrants and legal documents relating to family court and civil court matters.
Conduct pre-trial investigations and negotiations; prepare and litigate motions and appeals; present hearings and trials.
Maintain contact with local law enforcement about ongoing investigations and litigation.

Judge example responsibilities.

Prepare jury charges, manage trial docket and handle appeals of SSI disability cases.
Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
Docket civil orders on CM/ECF.
Observe civil and criminal trial and appeals proceedings.
Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
Prepare orders and decisions from drafts provide by the assigned AJ.

Prosecutor vs judge skills

Common prosecutor skills

Jury Trials, 15%
Legal Research, 13%
Criminal Cases, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Motion Hearings, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%

Common judge skills

Legal Issues, 18%
Civil Law, 15%
International Law, 14%
Legal Services, 12%
Defense Counsel, 12%
Trial Counsel, 5%