What are the main factors that influence a Public Defender's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Public Defender's salary?

A Public Defender's salary grows with experience: an Public Defender (0-2 years)earns $100,672, an Attorney II (2-4 years)earns $133,636, an Attorney III (4-7 years)earns $188,721, an Attorney IV (7+ years)earns $214,869, an Attorney V (7-10 years)earns $254,965,

What are the highest paying states for a Public Defender?

Public Defender salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Public Defender roles are District of Columbia $112,283, California $111,857, Massachusetts $110,367. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Public Defender roles make?

Salaries for Public Defender level roles vary by specialization: Assistant Federal Defender: $152,605; Assistant Public Defender: $99,084; Deputy Public Defender: $98,731; Public Speaker: $98,108; Assistant Federal Public Defender: $98,016.

How do different companies affect a Public Defender's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Public Defender roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Public Defender Salary in the United States

How much does a Public Defender make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Public Defender in the United States is $101,412 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $49.

However, a Public Defender's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $120,643
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $89,708 to $111,478
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $79,052

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Public Defender Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$111,478	$9,290	$2,144	$54
Average	$101,412	$8,451	$1,950	$49
25th Percentile	$89,708	$7,476	$1,725	$43

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Key Factors That Influence Public Defender Salaries

A Public Defender's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Public Defender Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Public Defender's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $100,672
Early Career (1-2 years): $133,636
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $188,721
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $214,869
Expert (over 8 years): $254,965

Levels	Salary
Public De... Level Public Defender	$100,672
Attorney ... Level Public Defender	$133,636
Attorney ... Level Public Defender	$188,721
Attorney ... Level Public Defender	$214,869
Attorney ... Level Public Defender	$254,965

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Public Defender Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Public Defenders. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $112,283.
California: $111,857.
Massachusetts: $110,367.

District of Columbia $112,283 California $111,857 Massachusetts $110,367 Washington $109,961 New Jersey $109,920 Alaska $109,778 Connecticut $108,379 New York $107,811

Hawaii $105,996 Rhode Island $105,144 Maryland $104,566 Minnesota $103,775 Colorado $103,471 Illinois $103,369 Oregon $102,984 Delaware $102,700

New Hampshire $102,521 Virginia $102,122 Pennsylvania $100,956 Nevada $100,367 North Dakota $100,175 Michigan $99,871 Wisconsin $99,759 Vermont $99,536

Texas $98,917 Maine $98,877 Arizona $98,816 Ohio $98,745 Georgia $97,812 Indiana $97,345 Wyoming $97,254 Utah $97,112

Iowa $97,051 Kansas $96,565 Louisiana $96,423 North Carolina $96,372 Missouri $96,352 Florida $95,956 Montana $95,743 Nebraska $95,540

Kentucky $95,429 South Carolina $95,023 Tennessee $94,770 Idaho $94,668 New Mexico $93,928 Oklahoma $93,766 Alabama $93,167 South Dakota $92,163

Arkansas $91,616 West Virginia $91,322 Mississippi $90,439

Top Paying Cities for Public Defenders

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $127,911
San Francisco: $126,510
Oakland: $123,844

San Jose, CA $127,911

San Francisco, CA $126,510

Oakland, CA $123,844

New York, NY $116,765

Paramus, NJ $115,345

Queens Village, NY $115,340

Passaic, NJ $115,244

Bergenfield, NJ $115,234

Stamford, CT $115,011

Huntington, NY $114,970

Newark, NJ $114,220

Bridgeport, CT $114,006

Vallejo, CA $113,805

New Brunswick, NJ $113,764

Petaluma, CA $113,703

Middlesex, NJ $113,510

Somerset, NJ $113,439

Santa Cruz, CA $113,308

Boston, MA $112,689

Monterey, CA $112,333

Seattle, WA $112,101

Santa Rosa, CA $112,081

Los Angeles, CA $112,050

Juneau, AK $111,786

Washington, DC $111,675

Orange, CA $111,314

Santa Ana, CA $111,046

Long Beach, CA $110,945

Anaheim, CA $110,924

Anchorage, AK $110,874

Santa Maria, CA $110,570

Everett, WA $110,549

Danbury, CT $110,192

Bremerton, WA $110,052

Tacoma, WA $109,687

New Suffolk, NY $109,685

Sacramento, CA $109,657

Santa Barbara, CA $109,545

Trenton, NJ $109,434

San Diego, CA $109,434

Brockton, MA $109,322

Fairbanks, AK $109,074

Lompoc, CA $108,815

Lowell, MA $108,733

Ventura, CA $108,714

Nashua, NH $108,693

Stockton, CA $108,683

Modesto, CA $107,943

Poughkeepsie, NY $107,720

Olympia, WA $107,527

Kennewick, WA $107,527

New Haven, CT $107,487

Lawrence, MA $107,121

Hartford, CT $107,020

Riverside, CA $107,000

New Bedford, MA $106,898

Richland, WA $106,898

Bakersfield, CA $106,756

San Bernardino, CA $106,716

New Britain, CT $106,706

Atlantic City, NJ $106,706

New London, CT $106,665

Norwich, CT $106,635

Portsmouth, NH $106,614

Boulder, CO $106,399

Portland, OR $106,259

Worcester, MA $106,249

Minneapolis, MN $105,935

Philadelphia, PA $105,793

Honolulu, HI $105,458

Saint Paul, MN $105,410

Vineland, NJ $105,387

Providence, RI $105,093

Chicago, IL $104,799

Bellingham, WA $104,677

Springfield, MA $104,596

Baltimore, MD $104,566

Chico, CA $104,312

Pittsfield, MA $104,039

Manchester, NH $103,846

Spokane, WA $103,400

Denver, CO $103,390

Albany, NY $102,913

Troy, NY $102,872

Nassau, NY $102,764

Schenectady, NY $102,659

Wilmington, DE $102,578

Burlington, VT $102,436

Salem, OR $102,396

Portland, ME $102,081

Yakima, WA $101,980

Rochester, MN $101,666

Reno, NV $101,615

Fresno, CA $101,615

Milwaukee, WI $101,524

Detroit, MI $101,422

Ann Arbor, MI $101,405

Allentown, PA $101,392

Colorado Springs, CO $101,219

Syracuse, NY $101,169

Carson City, NV $101,169

Houston, TX $101,027

Eugene, OR $100,976

Gary, IN $100,854

Springfield, OR $100,773

Bismarck, ND $100,753

Galveston, TX $100,682

Medford, OR $100,530

Fort Collins, CO $100,489

Concord, NH $100,438

Austin, TX $100,408

Mesa, AZ $100,195

Reading, PA $100,185

Phoenix, AZ $100,175

Dallas, TX $100,144

Saint Cloud, MN $100,047

Madison, WI $99,911

Utica, NY $99,637

Rochester, NY $99,475

Des Moines, IA $99,465

Raleigh, NC $99,455

Atlanta, GA $99,303

Battle Creek, MI $99,272

Salt Lake City, UT $99,242

Lancaster, PA $99,090

Harrisburg, PA $98,948

Kansas City, MO $98,846

Champaign, IL $98,826

Kansas City, KS $98,826

Fort Worth, TX $98,816

Columbus, OH $98,799

Boca Raton, FL $98,775

Pittsburgh, PA $98,735

Richmond, VA $98,694

Indianapolis, IN $98,674

Cleveland, OH $98,664

Las Vegas, NV $98,542

Cincinnati, OH $98,542

Petersburg, VA $98,390

Huntsville, AL $98,238

Lansing, MI $98,170

Lebanon, PA $98,157

Pueblo, CO $98,147

Appleton, WI $98,116

Buffalo, NY $98,076

Dayton, OH $98,045

Racine, WI $98,025

Charlotte, NC $98,015

Saint Louis, MO $97,984

York, PA $97,923

Elkhart, IN $97,923

Gastonia, NC $97,904

Billings, MT $97,880

Beaumont, TX $97,852

Lorain, OH $97,832

Benton Harbor, MI $97,812

Toledo, OH $97,792

Binghamton, NY $97,741

Rock Hill, SC $97,731

Rockford, IL $97,680

Springfield, IL $97,639

Elyria, OH $97,629

Fargo, ND $97,629

Flagstaff, AZ $97,558

Fort Lauderdale, FL $97,497

Duluth, MN $97,437

Miami, FL $97,437

Cheyenne, WY $97,366

Grand Forks, ND $97,366

Bangor, ME $97,143

Cedar Rapids, IA $97,031

Durham, NC $96,988

Louisville, KY $96,980

Grand Rapids, MI $96,960

Hialeah, FL $96,950

Casper, WY $96,808

Scranton, PA $96,686

New Orleans, LA $96,656

Virginia Beach, VA $96,646

Akron, OH $96,595

Peoria, IL $96,463

Sarasota, FL $96,443

Nashville, TN $96,372

Omaha, NE $96,372

Green Bay, WI $96,372

Baton Rouge, LA $96,321

Charleston, SC $96,301

Jamestown, NY $96,250

Davenport, IA $96,250

Tucson, AZ $96,199

Saint Petersburg, FL $96,139

Tampa, FL $96,118

Evansville, IN $96,057

Port Arthur, TX $96,057

Bradenton, FL $96,017

Santa Fe, NM $95,834

Orlando, FL $95,652

Clearwater, FL $95,621

Canton, OH $95,408

La Crosse, WI $95,408

Albuquerque, NM $95,348

Newport News, VA $95,337

High Point, NC $95,307

Ogden, UT $95,266

Corpus Christi, TX $95,185

Norfolk, VA $95,124

Laramie, WY $95,124

Rock Island, IL $95,064

Saginaw, MI $95,043

Jacksonville, FL $95,033

Salisbury, NC $95,013

Boise, ID $94,993

Moline, IL $94,942

Fort Myers, FL $94,911

Memphis, TN $94,891

Tulsa, OK $94,841

Waterloo, IA $94,780

Spartanburg, SC $94,678

Lincoln, NE $94,628

Fort Wayne, IN $94,607

Provo, UT $94,597

Cedar Falls, IA $94,475

San Antonio, TX $94,435

Greensboro, NC $94,394

South Bend, IN $94,384

Savannah, GA $94,273

Muskegon, MI $94,232

Birmingham, AL $94,222

Winston Salem, NC $94,172

Lake Charles, LA $93,928

Anderson, IN $93,908

Lexington, KY $93,877

Augusta, GA $93,847

Greenville, SC $93,847

Lima, OH $93,766

Wichita, KS $93,755

Tuscaloosa, AL $93,755

Columbia, SC $93,664

Springfield, OH $93,644

Asheville, NC $93,482

Bloomington, IN $93,411

Knoxville, TN $93,046

Shreveport, LA $93,035

Wilmington, NC $92,904

Roanoke, VA $92,904

Topeka, KS $92,721

Frankfort, KY $92,710

Oklahoma City, OK $92,640

Chillicothe, OH $92,599

Longview, TX $92,589

Melbourne, FL $92,579

Sioux Falls, SD $92,417

Mobile, AL $92,407

Terre Haute, IN $92,366

Altoona, PA $92,305

Amarillo, TX $92,234

Killeen, TX $92,204

Fayetteville, AR $92,123

Chattanooga, TN $92,092

Sioux City, IA $92,001

Idaho Falls, ID $91,981

Lynchburg, VA $91,900

Gainesville, FL $91,768

Portsmouth, OH $91,717

Little Rock, AR $91,697

Lafayette, LA $91,656

Youngstown, OH $91,656

Daytona Beach, FL $91,595

Clarksville, TN $91,585

Pensacola, FL $91,575

Temple, TX $91,568

Hopkinsville, KY $91,271

Erie, PA $91,251

Florence, SC $91,210

Charleston, WV $91,048

Great Falls, MT $90,997

Macon, GA $90,855

Tallahassee, FL $90,845

Fayetteville, NC $90,825

Waco, TX $90,804

Helena, MT $90,733

Pine Bluff, AR $90,695

Vincennes, IN $90,571

Lubbock, TX $90,530

Alamogordo, NM $90,470

Twin Falls, ID $90,378

Rapid City, SD $90,348

Jackson, MS $90,165

Huntington, WV $90,158

Greenville, MS $90,155

Parkersburg, WV $90,052

Montgomery, AL $90,034

Wichita Falls, TX $89,932

Springfield, MO $89,932

Biloxi, MS $89,881

Monroe, LA $89,780

Johnstown, PA $89,709

Sumter, SC $89,668

Columbus, GA $89,658

Pascagoula, MS $89,466

Abilene, TX $89,466

Kingsport, TN $89,202

Albany, GA $89,202

Gulfport, MS $89,172

Alexandria, LA $88,837

Fort Smith, AR $88,583

El Paso, TX $88,310

Las Cruces, NM $87,853

Harlingen, TX $87,596

Pocatello, ID $87,579

Florence, AL $87,448

Brownsville, TX $87,427

Mcallen, TX $87,214

Dothan, AL $87,072

Columbus, MS $86,470

Altus, OK $85,997

Lawton, OK $85,805

Pierre, SD $85,440

What Skills Can Increase a Public Defender's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 5.65% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Estate Planning (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging, during a person's life, for the management and disposal of that person's estate during the person's life and at and after death, while minimizing gift, estate, generation skipping transfer, and income tax. Estate planning includes planning for incapacity as well as a process of reducing or eliminating uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximizing the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses. The ultimate goal of estate planning can be determined by the specific goals of the client, and may be as simple or complex as the client's needs dictate. Guardians are often designated for minor children and beneficiaries in incapacity. The law of estate planning overlaps to some degree with elder law, which additionally includes other provisions such as long-term care.
Employment Law (Mentioned in 1.49% Job Postings): Applying the knowledge of employment law to regulate relationships between employers and employees.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	5.65%
Estate Planning	2.37%
Employment Law	1.49%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Public Defender's salary.

Legal Advice: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Due Diligence: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Legal Advice	$106,483	5%
Intellectual Property	$105,468	4%
Due Diligence	$104,454	3%
Negotiating	$104,454	3%
Analysis	$104,454	3%
Employment Law	$104,454	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Public Defender's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Public Defenders enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Public Defender with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $101,138 and $109,909).

Public Defender Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Public Defender

No Diploma 0.2%

High School 0.4%

Associates 0.1%

Bachelors 1.8%

Masters 2.9%

Doctorate 94.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.2%
High School	0.4%
Associates	0.1%
Bachelors	1.8%
Masters	2.9%
Doctorate	94.6%

view as graph

Public Defender Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Public Defender's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$89,708

Average $101,412/year

$111,478

$7,476

Average $8,451/month

$9,290

$1,725

Average $1,950/week

$2,144

$43

Average $49/hour

$54

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$111,478	$9,290	$2,144	$54
Average	$101,412	$8,451	$1,950	$49
25th Percentile	$89,708	$7,476	$1,725	$43

Salaries of jobs related to Public Defender

Salary Trends for Public Defender

Salaries for a Public Defender can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $113,860 in 2023 to around $109,867 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Public Defender salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Public Defender Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$113,860

2024

$113,424

2025

$109,867

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$113,860
2024	$113,424
2025	$109,867
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Public Defender

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Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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