California / State Public Defender

Agency file

State Public Defender

Source file: California — State Employee Compensation (SCO Payroll Data Warehouse, CPRA) / ingested Jul 4, 2026

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

In 2025, this agency had 109 employees with median total compensation of $113,709; the highest distinct record was $224,017.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $12.9M
Employees: 109
Median total: $113,709
Highest record: $224,017

What the records show

Compensation analytics

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

Salary distribution

$1,796$207,360+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 109 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($113,709) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $114,988 (97%)
Overtime — $11 (0%)
Other — $3,227 (3%)
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

$34,263

$74,538

$113,709

$177,588

$195,268

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $195,268 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $34,263. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

18 · $167,542

16 · $192,971

10 · $186,501

6 · $113,613

Staff Services Manager I

6 · $92,989

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.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2023	$11.7M —	104 —	$120,733 —
2024	$12.3M ▲ 5.5%	105 ▲ 1.0%	$108,863 ▼ 9.8%
2025	$12.9M ▲ 4.5%	109 ▲ 3.8%	$113,709 ▲ 4.5%

Compare

Similar departments

Departments elsewhere with the most similar mix of roles — a proxy for the same kind of agency, matched by workforce composition rather than name. Pay is not cost-of-living adjusted.

Office of Administrative Law California71% match
Office of Public Utility Counsel Texas58% match
Public Defender City and County of San Francisco55% match
Public Defender Council, Georgia Georgia53% match
District Attorney Allegheny County, Pennsylvania50% match
Attorney General's Office South Carolina48% match

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Jolie Lipsig

Attorney Supervisor/State Public Defender

2023 total comp

$263,130

Base pay: $122,313
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $140,817
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $263,130
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,701
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260155749007
Salary Total: $15,701
Total Pay: $263,130

Jolie Lipsig holds the role of Attorney Supervisor at State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $263,130. Union affiliation: S02.

Galit Lipa

State Public Defender/State Public Defender

2025 total comp

$224,017

Base pay: $220,297
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,720
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $224,017
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: E99
Work county: Alameda

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $18,916
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260106036001
Salary Total: $18,348
Total Pay: $224,017

Galit Lipa works as a State Public Defender for State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. Galit earned $224,017 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is E99.

Mary Mc Comb

State Public Defender/State Public Defender

2023 total comp

$210,603

Base pay: $210,328
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $275
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $210,603
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: E99
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $17,830
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260106036001
Salary Total: $17,830
Total Pay: $210,603

Mary Mc Comb works as a State Public Defender for State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. Mary earned $210,603 in 2023. They are represented by E99.

Caneel Fraser

C.E.A./State Public Defender

2025 total comp

$207,561

Base pay: $203,841
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,720
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $207,561
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: M01
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $17,503
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260137500002
Salary Total: $16,978
Total Pay: $207,561

At State Public Defender, Caneel Fraser serves as a C.E.A.. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $207,561. They are represented by M01.

Bethany O'Neill

Attorney III/State Public Defender

2025 total comp

$207,360

Base pay: $170,698
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $36,661
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $207,360
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,686
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260155795065
Salary Total: $13,054
Total Pay: $207,360

Bethany O'Neill holds the role of Attorney III at State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $207,360. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Christina Spaulding

C.E.A./State Public Defender

2025 total comp

$207,024

Base pay: $206,624
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $400
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $207,024
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: M01
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $17,742
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260157500001
Salary Total: $17,210
Total Pay: $207,024

At State Public Defender, Christina Spaulding serves as a C.E.A.. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $207,024. Their bargaining unit is M01.

Alexander Post

Attorney, Assistant Chief Counsel/State Public Defender

2025 total comp

$203,055

Base pay: $191,376
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $11,679
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $203,055
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: M02
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $17,742
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260155871001
Salary Total: $16,922
Total Pay: $203,055

Alexander Post works as a Attorney, Assistant Chief Counsel for State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. Alexander earned $203,055 in 2025. Union affiliation: M02.

Elias Batchelder

Attorney Supervisor/State Public Defender

2023 total comp

$199,739

Base pay: $185,117
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $14,622
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $199,739
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S02
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,701
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260155749021
Salary Total: $15,701
Total Pay: $199,739

Elias Batchelder holds the role of Attorney Supervisor at State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $199,739. Their bargaining unit is S02.

Lisa D'Orazio

Attorney IV/State Public Defender

2024 total comp

$199,649

Base pay: $182,813
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $16,836
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $199,649
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,627
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 4260155780034
Salary Total: $15,627
Total Pay: $199,649

Lisa D'Orazio holds the role of Attorney IV at State Public Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2024, their total compensation was $199,649. Union affiliation: R02.