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The differences between public defenders and district 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 district attorney. Additionally, a district attorney has an average salary of $72,965, 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 district attorney are pre-trial conferences, legal research, and law enforcement agencies.
| Public Defender | District Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $69,052 | $72,965 |
| Hourly rate | $33.20 | $35.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,673 | 13,378 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
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.
Public defenders and district attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Defender | District Attorney | |
| Average salary | $69,052 | $72,965 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $98,000 | Between $49,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | Ventura County Community Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a public defender and a district attorney in terms of educational background:
| Public Defender | District Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between public defenders' and district attorneys' demographics:
| Public Defender | District Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |