What is the highest paid district attorney salary?

Asked by: Ashleigh Botsford  |  Last update: August 4, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (32 votes)

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $148,529 and as low as $36,515, the majority of salaries within the District Attorney jobs category currently range between $72,000 (25th percentile) to $116,900 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $138,660 annually in California.

How much does an ADA make in LA?

How much does a Assistant District Attorney make in Los Angeles, CA? The estimated total pay for a Assistant District Attorney is $202,127 per year in the Los Angeles Ca area, with an average salary of $140,950 per year.

Who is the highest paid lawyer in us?

Peter Angelos | $2 Billion

The wealthiest lawyer in North America, Peter Angelos earned his J.D. from the University of Baltimore and gained prominence in asbestos litigation, securing over $100 million from a single case.

Do you need a law degree to be a DA?

District attorneys are highly respected individuals in the society due to the nature of their job. In order to become a district attorney, you must earn a law degree, become a member of the American Bar Association, obtain a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and gain some trial experience.

How much does a deputy District Attorney make in Santa Clara?

As of Jan 18, 2025, the average annual pay for a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara is $133,885 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $64.37 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,574/week or $11,157/month.

How Much Does A District Attorney Make? - CountyOffice.org

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How much does the mayor of Sunnyvale make?

How much does a City Mayor make in Sunnyvale, California? As of Jan 14, 2025, the average hourly pay for a City Mayor in Sunnyvale is $19.09 an hour.

What is the highest-paid type of attorney?

Patent Attorney Salary

Patent attorneys are the highest-paid type of lawyers, with an average salary of $185,351, ranging from $119,88 to $285,530. Various factors contribute to a patent attorney's average salary, including experience, firm, location, and subject matter expertise.

How hard is the bar exam?

The bar exam is hard. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult challenges you ever embark on. You must memorize numerous laws and consume a lot of knowledge to answer questions correctly. For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it.

Is a DA the same as a lawyer?

Similar to a criminal defense lawyer, a prosecutor has full legal training, but they will not represent clients. Instead, their client is the government. In some cases, the chief prosecutor may also be referred to as the “district attorney.” In federal cases, there may also be a “special prosecutor” appointed.

How many years of college do you need to be a DA?

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.

Who is the lowest paid lawyer?

We find that within the legal industry, certain segments are known to offer lower compensation. Typically, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers working for nonprofit organizations are among the lowest paid.

Who is the richest person with a law degree?

The Top 10 Richest Lawyers in America
  • #9 – William Barr | $50 Million. ...
  • #8 – Roy Black | $65 Million. ...
  • #7 – John Branca | $100 Million. ...
  • #6 – Robert Shapiro | $120 Million. ...
  • #5 – Willie E. ...
  • #3 – Bill Neukom | $850 Million. ...
  • #2 – Jerry Reinsdorf | $1.8 Billion. ...
  • #1 – Peter Angelos | $2 Billion.

What branch of law makes the most money?

Corporate and tax lawyers tend to be the highest earners, with patent and IP lawyers not far behind. Trial lawyers also pull down a lot of money, particularly in the civil litigation field. Other lawyers are more motivated by getting justice for their clients than by collecting the largest possible paycheck.

Is it hard to become an ADA?

To be an assistant district attorney, approximately 7 years of study is required. The first four years of study are spent earning a bachelor's degree, which is needed prior to entering law school. Law school accounts for the about 3 years of study and results in a Juris Doctor (J.D.).

How much does the San Diego ADA make?

How much does a Assistant District Attorney make in San Diego, CA? The estimated total pay for a Assistant District Attorney is $244,716 per year in the San Diego Ca area, with an average salary of $156,258 per year.

Can you be a DA without being a lawyer?

No, most if not all DAs are required to pass the Bar Exam of their state first. Then, if it is an electorate position (typically so), you would need to be duly elected. You can be an assistant DA, again, if you pass the Bar Exam, and meet the minimum requirements of that jurisdiction's job requirements.

Does every city have a district attorney?

Although there are 50 states, there are 94 U.S. district courts, with each court having one DA. City attorneys branch off into each state's many municipalities, with one appointed to each.

What is the hardest state to become a lawyer?

California is widely considered to have the hardest bar exam, due to its low pass rate and the difficulty of the content and constraints of the exam.

Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam?

Kim Kardashian learned very quickly how hard bar exams can be. The California state bar is one of the most difficult states to pass, with a 40-50% pass rate. The first attempt rate, the second attempt, and after the third time, she finally passed!

How many times fail bar exam?

You're in luck! There is no limit to the number of times you can take the bar exam in the state of California.

Can lawyers make 300k a year?

Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys in the US is just over $125,000. The highest-paid lawyers (10% of the legal workforce) make over $208,000 However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500,000 or more per year.

What field of law is most in demand?

Which Legal Fields Are in Demand?
  • Intellectual property law. ...
  • Family law. ...
  • Immigration & naturalization law. ...
  • Real estate law. ...
  • Contract management. ...
  • Compliance. ...
  • Labor and employment. ...
  • Corporate transactions. Also known as mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, this work navigates the buying and selling of companies and their assets.

What is the highest paying job in the world?

Topping the list, being a CEO gets you the highest paying job in the world, no matter where you work. A CEO is the highest-ranked position in any organisation's structure. Irrespective of the company's size, a CEO handles all its day-to-day corporate affairs, manages resources and handles all managerial processes.