Public Defender Salary in New York, New York

How much does a Public Defender make in New York, NY?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Public Defender in New York, NY is $122,091. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $104,636 to $141,761, with most professionals earning between $88,745 and $159,669.

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Salary range for an Public Defender

$104,636 to $141,761

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What is a Public Defender?

A Public Defender is an attorney appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer. Brazil is the only country where an office of government-paid lawyers, with the specific purpose of providing legal assistance and representation to the destitute, free of charge, is established in the Constitution. In the United States, a 1963 US Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright ruled that the Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights requires the government to provide free legal counsel to indigent defendants in criminal cases. Many other countries provide people with p...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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What does a Public Defender do?

Common responsibilities of a Public Defender

Provides representation at all stages of the court process, including before the filing of formal charges, at the trial court level, and any related appeals.

September 28, 2022

Required to work in jail environment (will be required to comply with all conditions imposed to enter a facility of this type).

December 01, 2022

Assist the board in the adoption of rule accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, establishing standards and guideline, policies and procedures for the statewide delivery of public defense services in accordance with rules adopted by the Board or requires by law.

February 01, 2023

Reviews case, results of investigation, applicable laws and codes, and professional obligations to identify, prepare, direct filing, and litigate appropriate pretrial motions.

February 23, 2023

Meets with the client to discuss the appropriate action to be taken and whether pre-trial motions should be filed, discuss any plea offers from the State, and the consequences, including collateral legal consequences thereto, and, ultimately prepare client and case for trial.

February 27, 2023

Performs limited post-conviction work, including motions to modify probation, and represents clients at revocation hearings.

March 31, 2023

Represents all indigent persons charged with serious crimes in the County, including capital murder, murder, and manslaughter.

April 21, 2023

Acts as negotiator between the defendant clients and the State's Attorney's Office prosecutors to secure acquittals or reach agreement concerning sentence time plea agreements which would be the most beneficial for the defendant client, and the State's Attorney's Office.

May 08, 2023

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Public Defender Salary By Experience Levels in New York, NY

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Public Defender Salary By Level of Education in New York, NY

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Depending on the job, educational levels may have a significant impact on pay levels. Be informed and understand how things like education and certifications can help to increase potential earnings for the career you are interested in. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Average Salary Range for Public Defender in New York, NY

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

104636

141761

122091

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

108048

150921

127685

What is the average salary for Public Defender in 2025?

These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Public Defender in New York, NY. The base salary for Public Defender ranges from $104,636 to $141,761 with the average base salary of $122,091. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $108,048 to $150,921 with the average total cash compensation of $127,685.

View Average Salary for Public Defender as table

	Average Salary	Average Salary Range
Base Salary	$122,091	$104,636 - $141,761
Bonus	$5,594	$3,412 - $9,161
Total Pay	$127,685	$108,048 - $150,921

* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.

* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.

Public Defender Salary Near New York, NY

CITY, STATE	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE	COMPARE TO New York, NY
CITY, STATE West New York, NJ	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%
CITY, STATE Hoboken, NJ	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%
CITY, STATE Union City, NJ	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%
CITY, STATE Jersey City, NJ	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%
CITY, STATE Bronx, NY	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%
CITY, STATE Brooklyn, NY	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $104,636 - $141,761	COMPARE TO New York, NY 0%

See salaries for Public Defender in locations close to New York, NY. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.

About New York, New York

The City of New York, usually called either New York City (NYC) or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2017 population of 8,622,698 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world's most populous megacities, with an estimated 20,320,876 people in its 2017 M...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/11/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

View Salary for Similar Jobs to Public Defender in New York, NY

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JOB TITLE	LOCATION	MINIMUM SALARY	MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Assistant Public Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $104,636	MAXIMUM SALARY $141,761
JOB TITLE Deputy Public Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $104,636	MAXIMUM SALARY $141,761
JOB TITLE Chief Public Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $63,840	MAXIMUM SALARY $81,224
JOB TITLE Federal Public Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $66,796	MAXIMUM SALARY $85,748
JOB TITLE Assistant Federal Public Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $104,636	MAXIMUM SALARY $141,761
JOB TITLE Cyber Network Defender	LOCATION New York, NY	MINIMUM SALARY $82,864	MAXIMUM SALARY $100,794

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