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The differences between public defenders and defense 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 a defense attorney. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, 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 a defense attorney are litigation, insurance defense, and law firm.
| Public Defender | Defense Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $69,052 | $103,209 |
| Hourly rate | $33.20 | $49.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,673 | 6,557 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| 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.
A defense attorney serves as an advocate for individuals accused of committing crimes, representing and defending them at court to prove their innocence or negotiate plea bargains. As a defense attorney, they are responsible for studying everything about the case, preparing legal documents, gathering evidence, conducting interviews with the client and potential witnesses, coordinating with paralegals, and developing different strategies to defend the client during the court proceedings. They also provide counseling to clients, offer legal advice, give them updates about the case, and help them understand the procedures and risks.
Public defenders and defense attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Defender | Defense Attorney | |
| Average salary | $69,052 | $103,209 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $98,000 | Between $69,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | Taylor English Duma |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a public defender and a defense attorney in terms of educational background:
| Public Defender | Defense Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 50% |
| 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 defense attorneys' demographics:
| Public Defender | Defense Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% |
| 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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |