Also called: State's Attorney, County Prosecutor, Commonwealth's Attorney
The elected chief prosecutor for a county or district who decides which crimes get charged and runs an office of prosecutors.
A DA's day mixes courtroom strategy with running a big office: approving charges in a major case, meeting police chiefs and victims' families, setting policy on things like bail or diversion, and answering to voters and reporters. Most DAs spent years as line prosecutors before running for the job.
Pay is set by state law or the county and varies widely; big-city DAs earn the most. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 15 years after high school. J.D. and bar license, usually years as an assistant prosecutor, then winning an election.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Criminal Justice, History, Philosophy.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS lawyers, 2025-35 projection.
Low risk for 10 years. AI may help track cases and crime data; winning elections, setting policy and leading prosecutors are human leadership jobs.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Psychology, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.