what does a district attorney make

by Jon Quigley IV 5 min read

Typically, how much does a district attorney makes lies in the range of $14,000 to $357,000 USD. The district attorney salary in the 10th percentile is somewhere around $52,000 USD; while in the 90th percentile, it amounts up to nearly $152,000 USD.

Full Answer

What is the average salary of a district attorney?

Check out the table below and see if becoming a district attorney is a sentence you should serve. Degree Required. Juris Doctor. Key Skills. Analytical, problem-solving, communication, interpersonal. Licensure. Required in all states. Median …

How hard is becoming an assistant district attorney?

 · The average salary for a District Attorney is $75,893. Visit PayScale to research district attorney salaries by city, experience, skill, employer and more.

How much does a district attorney earn in Texas?

 · So how much does a district attorney make then? The average salary for a district attorney in the United States is in the region of $64 000 to $95 000. The compensation that they receive can vary. This will be in accordance with their skills and education level. Attorneys generally get employment benefits on top of their salaries.

How many terms can a district attorney serve?

 · How much does a District Attorney make? The average District Attorney salary is $57,138 per year, or $27.47 per hour, in the United States. People on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $41,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $78,000. As most things go, location can be critical.

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Who is the highest paid district attorney?

Highest Paying Companies For District AttorneysRankCompanyAverage District Attorney Salary1C 1.County Of Los Angeles Public Library$77,3732D 2.Denton County Electric Cooperative

Where do district attorneys get paid most?

District Attorneys make the most in San Francisco, CA at $113,727, averaging total compensation 47% greater than the US average.

What kind of lawyer makes the most money?

Types of Lawyers That Make the Most MoneyTax attorney (tax law): $122,000;Corporate lawyer: $118,000;Employment lawyer: $88,000;Real estate attorney: $87,000;Divorce attorney: $86,000;Immigration attorney: $85,000;Estate attorney: $84,000;Public defender: $66,000.More items...

How much does a US assistant district attorney make?

Salary Ranges for Assistant District Attorneys The salaries of Assistant District Attorneys in the US range from $12,373 to $334,332 , with a median salary of $60,340 . The middle 57% of Assistant District Attorneys makes between $60,340 and $151,574, with the top 86% making $334,332.

How much does the District Attorney make in Beverly Hills?

How much does a County Attorney make in Beverly Hills, CA? The average County Attorney salary in Beverly Hills, CA is $90,613 as of April 26, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $77,248 and $104,816.

What is the average salary of a lawyer?

A: In 2020, the average salary of a lawyer was approximately $12,410 a month, which amounts to about $148,910 a year. Q: Do lawyers who own private practices or partners in law firms have a higher salary? A: Lawyers working in law firms generally earn more than those who own private practices.

What type of lawyer makes the least money?

Legal Aid Attorney Legal Aid attorneys provide counsel to people who cannot afford to pay for their own lawyer. These are public interest jobs that many lawyers get a great deal of satisfaction out of, even if they don't make a large amount of money.

Who is the highest paid lawyer in America?

Who Are The 10 Highest Paid Lawyers In The USA?7 Erin Brockovich - Net Worth: $42 Million. ... 6 John Branca - Net Worth: $50 Million. ... 5 Robert Shapiro - Net Worth: $50 Million. ... 4 Roy Black - Net Worth: $65 Million. ... 3 Willie Gary - Net Worth: $100 Million. ... 2 Joe Jamail Jr. ... 1 Richard Scruggs - Net Worth: $1.7 Billion.More items...•

What is the highest paying job?

AnesthesiologistsHighest-Paying CareersRankOccupation2020 Median wagesAnnual1Anesthesiologists$100.00+2General Internal Medicine Physicians$100.00+3Obstetricians and Gynecologists$100.00+7 more rows

What is the salary of a New York City assistant district attorney?

How much does an Assistant District Attorney make in New York? The average Assistant District Attorney salary in New York is $67,815 as of April 26, 2022, but the range typically falls between $53,793 and $83,105.

How much does a Manhattan ADA make?

The starting salary for Assistant District Attorneys is $72,000 for recent law school graduates not yet admitted to the practice of law, and $72,500 for newly admitted attorneys. The salary is higher for those applicants who have practiced elsewhere before joining the staff.

How much does the Cook County state's attorney make?

How much does Cook County State's Attorney pay per year? The average Cook County State's Attorney salary ranges from approximately $74,000 per year for an Attorney to $97,706 per year for an Assistant States Attorney.

What is a district attorney?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is the primary duty of a district attorney?

The principal duties of the district attorney are usually mandated by law and include representing the State in all criminal trials for crimes which occurred in the district attorney's geographical jurisdiction. The geographical jurisdiction of a district attorney may be delineated by the boundaries of a county, judicial circuit, or judicial district.

What is a prosecutor district?

This term for a prosecutor originates with the traditional use of the term "district" for multi-county prosecutorial jurisdictions in several U.S. states. For example, New York appointed prosecutors to multi-county districts prior to 1813.

What does a county attorney do?

For example, in Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Minnesota a county attorney represents the county and state within their county, prosecutes all felonies occurring within the county, and prosecutes misdemeanors occurring within unincorporated areas of the county.

What states use state attorneys?

State's attorney or state attorney is used in Connecticut, Florida (state attorney), Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont. In Maryland, the roles of Assistant and Deputy are reversed from those used in "District Attorney" jurisdictions, with Deputy State's Attorney being the primary subordinate to the elected State's Attorney and Assistant State's Attorneys (ASA) being the line-level prosecutors of the office.

What is the role of a prosecutor?

In carrying out their duties, prosecutors have the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants. A district attorney leads a staff of prosecutors, who are most commonly known as deputy district attorneys (DDAs).

What is a DA?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is a district attorney?

District attorneys, sometimes called county attorneys, state attorneys, or prosecutors, are responsible for representing the government against criminal offenders in court. In many places, a district attorney must be elected into the position. At the federal level, a district attorney is called a U.S. Attorney.

What is required to become a district attorney?

Required licensure for a district attorney involves the successful completion of one or more bar exams and admission into his or her state's bar association. The lawyer can then provide services within the state where he or she is approved. Circumstances that may prevent a student from admittance into a bar association are academic concerns, substance abuse, and legal offenses. A lawyer is also typically obligated to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain active licensure and remain current in his or her area of expertise.

What is the job of a lawyer?

A lawyer can work in a variety of settings and specialize in many different areas. For example, a lawyer can specialize in family law and concentrate their practice in adoption, child support, and divorce. Some specialize in public-interest law, fighting with, or for, non-profit organizations and disadvantaged people. Other lawyers may choose environmental law, joining forces with government programs, advocacy groups, and waste-management facilities to defend nature and uphold laws designed to protect the planet.

How many years does it take to become a lawyer?

It takes approximately seven years to become a lawyer. Four years consist of undergraduate studies and the remaining three years are spent in law school. Most states require potential lawyers to be graduates of an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited school to qualify for admission to the bar.

Featured Content

New research shows that each woman experiences the disparity of gender pay gap in different ways, depending on her position, age, race and education.

What is the Pay by Experience Level for District Attorneys?

An entry-level District Attorney with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $57,271 based on 5 salaries. An early career District Attorney with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $69,711 based on 19 salaries. A …Read more

What Do District Attorneys Do?

A district attorney is the lawyer who represents a given area during the prosecution of criminal offenders within that jurisdiction. The district attorney will typically supervise a staff of assistants attorneys who assist him or her in presenting and prosecuting cases, especially in larger jurisdictions.

Gender Breakdown

This data is based on 9 survey responses. Learn more about the gender pay gap.

How much does a district attorney make in San Francisco?

How much does a district attorney make varies quite significantly across the different states and it is San Francisco that pays their district attorneys the most although salaries can vary from $30 000 to $350 000 depending on experience, skills, and state.

Which state has the highest district attorney salary?

As mentioned, when looking at how much does a district attorney makes, location certainly comes into the equation. California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada are some of the states that provide the highest district attorney salaries.

What is the role of a prosecutor?

Apart from coursework students also enter legal externships. Their powers and duties can vary in the different states. In the different states, when anyone commits a crime, the prosecutor represents the state. They decide whether the criminal charges filed by the police will go to court. They have to then prove to the judge that the person accused of the crime is guilty. The American Bar Association tells us that the duty of the prosecutor or district attorney is to pursue justice within the bounds of the law.

How long does a district attorney have to file charges?

They represent the state by reviewing evidence in criminal cases and fathoming out whether the case will be brought to trial. The district attorney usually has a year to file charges after the date of arrest.

What does a district attorney do?

Known also as a public prosecutor, a district attorney represents the state in a criminal case and has quite a lot of decision-making powers that can impact the community they serve.

How long does it take to get a Juris Doctor degree?

You need to earn a Juris Doctor degree which can take up to 3 years to achieve. Many people opt to get this degree online and then it can sometimes take longer. Whether you follow an online course or you go to a college or university, the course will equip you with the skills needed to prosecute criminals and attend court proceedings.

How long does it take to get a law degree?

Take the Law School Admissions Test, which is commonly referred to as the LSAT. Earn a Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degree. This degree takes about 3 years to complete. The first year is usually foundational coursework.

How much do district attorneys make?

District attorneys in the United States make an average salary of $63,353 per year or $30.46 per hour. People on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $45,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $88,000. As most things go, location can be critical. Illinois, California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Nevada provide the highest district attorney salaries.

What is an attorney at law?

An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.

What is a document review attorney?

A Document Review Attorney reviews various types of legal documents, such as contract and employment law, intellectual property, and commercial litigation, to identify any areas of risk or information that may need correction.

How much does a district attorney make?

Typically, how much does a district attorney makes lies in the range of $14,000 to $357,000 USD. The district attorney salary in the 10th percentile is somewhere around $52,000 USD; while in the 90th percentile, it amounts up to nearly $152,000 USD. But, the city, years of experience, skill, and the job itself mainly determine how much do district attorneys make.

What is the job of a district attorney?

The district attorney careers and jobs revolve around lawyers who are elected to represent a given area or state in judicial proceedings concerning criminals of the county. The tasks of a district attorney not only include representing a vicinity; but, also include supervising assistant attorneys who are of help during the prosecution.

Is District a blooming area?

Nevertheless, district is a blooming area of study and is expected to only become better in tremendous ways!

How much does a district attorney make?

When you move up to district attorney, the average salary rises to $73,213, with a salary range of $50,830–$142,767. Both career length and the particular city affect salary, with experience having the largest influence. Entry-level DAs earn some 7 percent less than average. After a few more years of experience, a DA may earn only 3 percent less than average. Experienced DAs earn 22 percent more, while at the end of your career, you may get 32 percent more.

What is the job of a district attorney?

District attorneys prosecute state crimes that happen within their counties' borders. Often called the DA, the district attorney is in charge of the prosecutor's office, which may include criminal investigators, paralegals and also assistant district attorneys who work the cases.

Who decides whether to file a criminal case?

While the police are in charge of heading to the crime scene and gathering evidence, it's the district attorney's office that determines whether to file criminal charges. The DA has the final say in every case as to whether charges should be filed. This usually depends on whether the DA thinks the evidence will support a conviction. District attorneys, along with their staff lawyers, negotiate with criminal defense attorneys. If negotiation fails, they take the criminal cases to court before judges and juries.

What happens if the DA doesn't negotiate?

If negotiation fails, they take the criminal cases to court before judges and juries.

Why are district attorneys so well known?

Over the years, district attorneys can become fairly well-known just because their name may make it in to the newspaper for cases that they have prosecuted. They can often be portrayed or viewed by the public as white knights of a sort because their job is to put bad guys in jail, which is kind of cool. While what these district attorneys do is ...

How much does an ADA make?

The Assistant District Attorneys (ADA) who work under the elected DA are the prosecutors who are typically in court trying cases. Their incomes are also set by statute at TCA Section 8-7-201 and it is based strictly on years of service. For an ADA with one year of service, they make 60% of what the DA makes. The maximum amount of money an ADA makes is after six years of service, when they make 85% of what the DA makes.

What is a district attorney?

A district attorney is a lead prosecutor that represents the state government in a local government area. They're also lawyers who represent the state in a variety of criminal cases. Depending on their jurisdiction, district attorneys may supervise attorneys and various administrative staff.

Where do district attorneys spend their time?

District attorneys spend most of their time in the district attorney's office. They also spend time in courtrooms, in law libraries and in various legal offices.

What to do if you can't secure employment as an assistant district attorney?

If you can't secure employment as an assistant district attorney, gain legal experience in a related field like criminal defense and continue to apply for jobs in the district's attorney's office.

How much will lawyers be employed in 2029?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects an employment growth of 4% for lawyers from 2019 to 2029. This growth aligns with the average for all other occupations in the workforce.

Does the American Bar Association accredit law schools?

Keep in mind that the American Bar Association doesn't accredit all law schools. Some schools only permit graduates from accredited law schools to take the bar exam. Review your state's policy if you plan to attend a non-accredited law school.

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Overview

In the United States, a district attorney (DA), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county or a group of counties. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state. Alternative titles for the office include coun…

History

This term for a prosecutor originates with the traditional use of the term "district" for multi-county prosecutorial jurisdictions in several U.S. states. For example, New York appointed prosecutors to multi-county districts prior to 1813. Even after those states broke up such districts and started appointing or electing prosecutors for individual counties, they continued to use the title "district attorney" for the most senior prosecutor in a county rather than switch to "county attorney".

Role

The principal duties of the district attorney are usually mandated by law and include representing the State in all criminal trials for crimes which occurred in the district attorney's geographical jurisdiction. The geographical jurisdiction of a district attorney may be delineated by the boundaries of a county, judicial circuit, or judicial district.
Their duties generally include charging crimes through informations and/or grand jury indictment…

Departments

The district attorney usually divides their services into several departments that handle different areas of criminal law. Each department is staffed by several duly appointed and sworn ASAs. The departments of a large district attorney's office may include but are not limited to: felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, traffic, juvenile, charging (or case filing), drug prosecution, forfeitures, civil affairs such as eminent domain, child advocacy, child support, victim assistance…

Nomenclature

The name of the role of local prosecutor may vary by state or jurisdiction based on whether they serve a county or a multi-county district, the responsibility to represent the state or county in addition to prosecution, or local historical customs.
District attorney and assistant district attorney are the most common titles for state prosecutors, and are used by jurisdictions within the United States including California, Delaware, Georgia, Mas…

Assistant district attorney

The assistant district attorney (assistant DA, ADA) (or state prosecutor or assistant state's attorney) is a law enforcement official who represents the state government on behalf of the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting individuals alleged to have committed a crime. In carrying out their duties to enforce state and local laws, ADA have the authority to investigate persons, is…

Appeals

Depending on state law, appeals are moved to appellate courts (also called appeals courts, courts of appeals, superior courts, or supreme courts in some states). During the appeals process district attorneys, in many cases, hands all relative prosecutorial materials to a state appellate prosecutor who in turn will represent the state in appellate courts with the advice and consent of the district attorney.

District attorney investigators

Some district attorneys maintain their own law enforcement arm whose members are sworn peace officers. Depending on the jurisdiction, they are referred to as district attorney investigators or county detectives.