How Much Does a District Attorney Make? Salary by Role and Experience
An assistant district attorney earns a median starting salary of about $64,000, while the elected District Attorney who heads the office typically makes $120,000 to more than $200,000. The term covers two very different roles: the line prosecutors who staff the office, which is most “DA” jobs, and the single elected official who runs it. Experienced assistant DAs and deputies rise to roughly $100,000 to $160,000, and District Attorneys in the largest metro offices can exceed $250,000.
How much does a district attorney make?
There is no single number, because “district attorney” describes two jobs. Most people in a DA’s office are assistant district attorneys (ADAs), the prosecutors who try cases. The District Attorney is the one elected or appointed official who leads the office.
Assistant district attorneys start at a median of about $64,000 and rise into six figures with experience. The elected District Attorney earns considerably more, generally $120,000 to over $200,000, scaling with the size and budget of the jurisdiction.
For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $151,160 for lawyers across all fields. Most prosecutors earn below that, since government pay scales sit under private-sector legal pay.
Assistant district attorney (ADA) salary by experience
ADA pay starts modestly and climbs with seniority and the size of the office. The single biggest variable at entry is location: a starting ADA in San Jose earns roughly double one in a small New England city.
| Stage | Typical salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level ADA (0-3 years) | ~$64,000 median (range $40,000-$128,000 by city) |
| Deputy DA / mid-career (3-7 years) | ~$80,000-$120,000 |
| Senior / supervising ADA (8+ years) | ~$120,000-$160,000 |
To put the range in concrete terms, a recent nationwide survey of starting ADA pay found a low near $40,600 (Manchester, New Hampshire) and a high of about $127,500 (San Jose, California). The job is the same; the county budget is what differs.
How much does an elected District Attorney make?
The elected District Attorney, the office-holder, is paid as a senior public official, and the number tracks the jurisdiction’s size and budget. The National District Attorneys Association puts the typical range at roughly $80,000 to more than $200,000.
| Jurisdiction | Typical elected DA salary |
|---|---|
| Small or rural county | ~$80,000-$130,000 |
| Mid-size county | ~$130,000-$190,000 |
| Large metro (Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco) | $200,000-$350,000+ |
The biggest offices are a different tier entirely. District Attorneys in the largest metropolitan counties commonly clear $250,000, reflecting the scale of the office and the cost of living they operate in.
One structural note that shapes the job: in most states the District Attorney is an elected county official, so the role is as much political as legal. A few jurisdictions, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., appoint their lead prosecutors instead.
District attorney vs U.S. Attorney: not the same job
These two are frequently confused. A District Attorney is a state or county prosecutor handling crimes under state law. A U.S. Attorney and the assistant U.S. attorneys (AUSAs) beneath them are federal prosecutors in the Department of Justice who handle federal crimes.
Federal prosecutors are paid on the DOJ’s administratively determined scale, with total pay capped around $195,100 in 2025. So a senior AUSA and a big-city elected DA can land in a similar range, but they work in entirely separate systems. For the state-level chief legal officers a step above DAs, see our overview of U.S. attorneys general.
What affects a district attorney’s salary?
Jurisdiction size and budget come first. A populous, well-funded county pays both its ADAs and its elected DA far more than a rural office with a small caseload and budget.
Location is the next lever, and it tracks cost of living. California pays district attorneys the most on average, near $94,700, with New York, Massachusetts, and Nevada also above the national average, while lower-cost states pay less in nominal terms.
Experience and role round it out. Moving from line ADA to deputy to bureau chief raises pay at each step, and winning election to the top job is the largest jump of all. Unlike private practice, though, prosecution pay rises in measured government increments rather than big private-sector leaps.
How to become a district attorney
The path runs through prosecution. You earn a bachelor’s degree, complete a Juris Doctor, and pass the bar exam, then typically join a DA’s office as an assistant district attorney to build trial experience.
From there, the elected District Attorney role usually comes after years of courtroom work and, in most states, a successful election. If a prosecution career interests you, our guides to becoming a lawyer and studying criminal law map the steps, and our overview of criminal law and the role of a criminal lawyer covers the field. For how prosecution pay compares to the defense side, see our average criminal lawyer salary guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a district attorney make?
An assistant district attorney earns a median starting salary of about $64,000, rising to roughly $100,000 to $160,000 with experience. The elected District Attorney who leads the office typically makes $120,000 to over $200,000, with large-metro DAs exceeding $250,000.
How much does an assistant district attorney make starting out?
The median starting salary for an assistant district attorney is about $64,000. It ranges widely by city, from roughly $40,000 in low-cost areas to about $127,500 in high-cost markets like San Jose.
Do district attorneys make more than other lawyers?
Usually less. Most prosecutors earn below the $151,160 median for lawyers overall (BLS, May 2024), because government pay scales sit under private-sector legal pay. Only elected DAs in large jurisdictions exceed that median.
Which state pays district attorneys the most?
California pays district attorneys the most on average, around $94,700, with New York, Massachusetts, and Nevada also above the national average. Pay tracks jurisdiction budget and cost of living.
Is a district attorney the same as a U.S. Attorney?
No. A district attorney is a state or county prosecutor. A U.S. Attorney is a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice, paid on the federal scale with total pay capped near $195,100 in 2025.
How do you become a district attorney?
Earn a bachelor’s degree, complete a Juris Doctor, pass the bar exam, and gain trial experience as an assistant district attorney. The elected District Attorney role typically follows years of prosecution work and, in most states, an election.
Sources: All-lawyer median wage of $151,160 (May 2024) and ~5% projected job growth from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (Lawyers). Assistant district attorney starting pay (median ~$64,000; range $40,604 in Manchester, NH to $127,518 in San Jose, CA) from the Biglaw Investor nationwide ADA salary survey. Elected District Attorney range (~$80,000 to $200,000+) per National District Attorneys Association data; large-metro figures via aggregated salary reporting; California average (~$94,700) per industry compensation data. Federal prosecutor (U.S. Attorney / AUSA) pay capped near $195,100 in 2025 per the U.S. Department of Justice pay charts. Figures are estimates that vary by jurisdiction, budget, experience, and location. Reviewed by Lexinter Law Directory. Report a correction.
