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Allegheny County, Pennsylvania / Public Defender

Agency file

Public Defender

Source file: Allegheny County — Employee Salaries / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Public Defender handles legal functions of government — prosecution, legal advice, and representing the state in court.

In 2025, this agency had 176 employees with median total compensation of $66,610; the highest distinct record was $119,612.

Year
2025
Total payroll
$9.9M
Employees
176
Median total
$66,610
Highest record
$119,612

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 176 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($66,610) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

  • Base$55,549 (99%)
  • Overtime$93 (0%)
  • Other$499 (1%)
  • Benefits$0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$13,717
$35,977
$66,610
$79,166
$90,199

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $90,199 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $13,717. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Trial Defender 4
60 · $68,865
Trial Defender 3
16 · $79,166
Legal Secretary 1/
12 · $41,429
Trial Defender 2
11 · $98,369
Investigator
9 · $45,574

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 3 published years.

YearTotal payrollEmployeesMedian pay
2023
$8.8M
160
$64,231
2024
$9.3M
5.0%
161
0.6%
$66,875
4.1%
2025
$9.9M
6.5%
176
9.3%
$66,610
0.4%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Arthur J Ettinger

Trial Defender 2/Public Defender

2025 total comp
$101,366
Base pay
$97,462
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$3,904
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$101,366
Hire date
4/23/2002

Source-specific fields

Annual Salary
$97,592
Elected Official
No
Gross Pay
$101,366
Pay Status
Active

At Public Defender, Arthur J Ettinger serves as a Trial Defender 2. Records show a hire date of 4/23/2002. Their 2025 pay totaled $101,366.

Andrew Howard

Senior Deputy Director/Public Defender

2023 total comp
$101,101
Base pay
$100,425
Overtime
$676
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$101,101
Hire date
3/23/2015

Source-specific fields

Annual Salary
$100,425
Elected Official
No
Gross Pay
$101,101
Pay Status
Active

Andrew Howard works as a Senior Deputy Director for Public Defender. Their hire date on record is 3/23/2015. Andrew earned $101,101 in 2023.

Stacey L. Steiner

Director of Training & Policy/Public Defender

2025 total comp
$101,101
Base pay
$99,635
Overtime
$1,341
Other pay
$125
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$101,101
Hire date
4/30/2001

Source-specific fields

Annual Salary
$99,635
Elected Official
No
Gross Pay
$101,101
Pay Status
Active

Stacey L. Steiner is a Director of Training & Policy at Public Defender. Records show a hire date of 4/30/2001. 2025 total compensation came to $101,101.