Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public defenders and assistant state 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 public defender and an assistant state attorney. Additionally, an assistant state attorney has an average salary of $82,255, which is higher than the $69,052 average annual salary of a public defender.
The top three skills for a public defender include mental health, law enforcement and criminal cases. The most important skills for an assistant state attorney are litigation, criminal cases, and appeals.
| Public Defender | Assistant State Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $69,052 | $82,255 |
| Hourly rate | $33.20 | $39.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,673 | 9,855 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An Assistant Staff Attorney performs a wide range of clerical and administrative work that requires knowledge of legal terms, documents, and procedures. They also communicate with clients to keep them informed on case progress.
Public defenders and assistant state attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Defender | Assistant State Attorney | |
| Average salary | $69,052 | $82,255 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $98,000 | Between $55,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | State Attorney's Office |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a public defender and an assistant state attorney in terms of educational background:
| Public Defender | Assistant State Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public defenders' and assistant state attorneys' demographics:
| Public Defender | Assistant State Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |