New Jersey / Office of the Public Defender

Agency file

Office of the Public Defender

Source file: New Jersey — YourMoney State Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

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

In 2024, this agency had 672 employees with median total compensation of $86,980; the highest distinct record was $185,424.

Year: 2024
Total payroll: $60.2M
Employees: 672
Median total: $86,980
Highest record: $185,424

What the records show

Compensation analytics

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

Salary distribution

$223$162,947+

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

How 2024 total compensation is spread across the 672 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($86,980) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $87,991 (98%)
Overtime — $40 (0%)
Other — $1,486 (2%)
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

$45,849

$62,261

$86,980

$115,845

$136,555

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $136,555 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $45,849. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2

175 · $109,634

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr

108 · $74,815

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 3

67 · $138,910

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1

56 · $85,071

Legal Secretary 2

56 · $47,864

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 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2023	$57.6M —	720 —	$79,789 —
2024	$60.2M ▲ 4.5%	672 ▼ 6.7%	$86,980 ▲ 9.0%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Edwin Castillo

Clerk Typist/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$19,979

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $19,979
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $19,979
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Castillo, Edwin
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 163658
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $37,975
Year-to-Date Earnings: $19,979

Edwin Castillo holds the role of Clerk Typist at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. In 2023, their total compensation was $19,979. They are represented by Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Erik Danser

Senior Clerk Typist/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$18,223

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $18,223
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $18,223
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Danser, Erik
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 115311
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $45,688
Year-to-Date Earnings: $18,223

At Office of the Public Defender, Erik Danser serves as a Senior Clerk Typist within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2023 pay totaled $18,223. Union affiliation: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Maria Benet

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$18,211

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $17,140
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,071
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $18,211
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Benet, Maria
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 103643
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $86,031
Year-to-Date Earnings: $18,211

Maria Benet works as a Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Maria earned $18,211 in 2023. They are represented by Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Andrea West

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$17,224

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $12,813
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $4,411
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $17,224
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: West, Andrea J
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 131997
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $99,246
Year-to-Date Earnings: $17,224

Andrea West works as a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2 for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Andrea earned $17,224 in 2024. Their bargaining unit is Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Bradley Suiters

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$16,939

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $15,573
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,366
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $16,939
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Suiters, Bradley
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 161784
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $94,945
Year-to-Date Earnings: $16,939

Bradley Suiters works as a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2 for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Bradley earned $16,939 in 2024. They are represented by Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Luldez Irizarry

Clerk Typist/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$15,182

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $15,182
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $15,182
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Irizarry, Luldez
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 130490
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $41,849
Year-to-Date Earnings: $15,182

Luldez Irizarry is a Clerk Typist at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. 2023 total compensation came to $15,182. Their bargaining unit is Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Dragana Temelkov

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$15,106

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $11,029
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $4,077
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $15,106
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Temelkov, Dragana
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 142505
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $71,965
Year-to-Date Earnings: $15,106

Dragana Temelkov is a Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. 2023 total compensation came to $15,106. Union affiliation: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Julius Hughes

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$14,610

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $12,976
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,634
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $14,610
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Hughes, Julius
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 148094
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $89,126
Year-to-Date Earnings: $14,610

Julius Hughes holds the role of Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1 at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. In 2023, their total compensation was $14,610. They are represented by Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.