Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public defenders and housing counselors 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 housing counselor. Additionally, a housing counselor has an average salary of $78,730, 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 housing counselor are litigation, in-house counsel, and social work.
| Public Defender | Housing Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $69,052 | $78,730 |
| Hourly rate | $33.20 | $37.85 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,673 | 33,639 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.
Public defenders and housing counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Defender | Housing Counselor | |
| Average salary | $69,052 | $78,730 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $98,000 | Between $42,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Glen Cove, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | United States Courts | PREIT |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a public defender and a housing counselor in terms of educational background:
| Public Defender | Housing Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 housing counselors' demographics:
| Public Defender | Housing Counselor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% |
| 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, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |