Public defender vs prosecutor

The differences between public defenders and prosecutors 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 prosecutor. Additionally, a public defender has an average salary of $69,052, which is higher than the $68,988 average annual salary of a prosecutor.

The top three skills for a public defender include mental health, law enforcement and criminal cases. The most important skills for a prosecutor are jury trials, legal research, and criminal cases.

Public defender vs prosecutor overview

	Public Defender	Prosecutor
Yearly salary	$69,052	$68,988
Hourly rate	$33.20	$33.17
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	11,673	749
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Public defender vs prosecutor salary

Public defenders and prosecutors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Defender	Prosecutor
Average salary	$69,052	$68,988
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $98,000	Between $48,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	United States Courts	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between public defender and prosecutor education

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

	Public Defender	Prosecutor
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Stanford University

Public defender vs prosecutor demographics

Here are the differences between public defenders' and prosecutors' demographics:

	Public Defender	Prosecutor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%
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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between public defender and prosecutor duties and responsibilities

Public defender example responsibilities.

Achieve not guilty verdicts in DUI, aggravate assault, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and battery trials.
Research, file, and present all types of pretrial motions, trial motions, writs and appeals.
Perform all aspects of criminal defense litigation, including felony preliminary hearings, and felony and misdemeanor jury trials.
Engage witnesses on direct and cross-examination.
Present felony DWI cases to the grand jury for indictment.
Handle some appeals and post-sentencing issues: violations of probation, protective order mod., etc.

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.

Public defender vs prosecutor skills

Common public defender skills

Mental Health, 15%
Law Enforcement, 9%
Criminal Cases, 9%
Legal Research, 8%
Litigation, 4%
Criminal Law, 4%

Common prosecutor skills

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

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Public Defender
Public Defender vs Prosecutor

Updated January 8, 2025

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