Franklin County, Ohio / Public Defender
Agency file
The Public Defender handles legal functions of government — prosecution, legal advice, and representing the state in court.
In 2026, this agency had 194 employees with median total compensation of $36,018; the highest distinct record was $79,611.
What the records show
These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.
How 2026 total compensation is spread across the 194 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($36,018) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.
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.
The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $53,457 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $1,063. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).
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
How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 4 published years.
| Year | Total payroll | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $10.8M — | 215 — | $54,739 — |
| 2024 | $11.8M ▲ 8.7% | 208 ▼ 3.3% | $68,438 ▲ 25.0% |
| 2025 | $12.7M ▲ 8.3% | 199 ▼ 4.3% | $75,271 ▲ 10.0% |
| 2026 | $5.9M ▼ 53.5% | 194 ▼ 2.5% | $36,018 ▼ 52.1% |
Record list
Page 1
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Robert Essex holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $56,943.
Public Defender Pay Grade 16/Public Defender
Source-specific fields
Christine Clarizio is a Public Defender Pay Grade 16 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $56,109.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Colin Christensen holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $55,829.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
Source-specific fields
At Public Defender, Elizabeth Wachsman serves as a Public Defender Attorney 4. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $55,777.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
Source-specific fields
Osias Zimmer is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2025 total compensation came to $55,277.