Tennessee / Public Defenders Conference / Assistant Public Defender

Job-title file

Assistant Public Defender

Provide administrative support — record-keeping, scheduling, correspondence, and customer service.

288 employees hold this title in Public Defenders Conference. Median total compensation for the role is $133,236, above the department median of $106,596.

Employees: 288
Total payroll: $38M
Role median: $133,236
Agency median: $106,596
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$34,320$185,724+

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

How total compensation varies among the 288 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Assistant Public Defender pay vs. Tennessee

Across all employers in Tennessee, the median wage for Lawyers — about 9,010 people — is $136,180. Public Defenders Conference pays a median base salary of $133,236 for this role, 2% below that figure — about the 48th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Public Defenders Conference sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$76,510

$98,750

$136,180

$198,470

$324,880

Public Defenders Conference median · $133,236

The bar is the range of annual wages for Lawyers across every employer in Tennessee, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Public Defenders Conference’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Lawyers — about 754,500 people — is $159,670. Public Defenders Conference’s median base salary is 17% below that national figure, about the 38th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$78,360

$102,990

$159,670

$221,370

$351,600

Public Defenders Conference median · $133,236

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Tennessee range relative to the national one.

Median total compensation for this role at Public Defenders Conference is $133,236, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare jurisdictions

Assistant Public Defender beyond Tennessee

This role is reported in 6 jurisdictions. In Tennessee, the median of $133,236 ranks #2 of 6. See Assistant Public Defender across all of Tennessee →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

$513,588 · 8

$63,121 · 579

$54,640 · 267

$37,440 · 35

Cook County, Illinois

$26,404 · 508

Median total compensation for comparable Assistant Public Defenderroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Francis Deslauriers

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-25-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 534099

At Public Defenders Conference, Francis Deslauriers serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-25-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $153,864.

James Elkins

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-21-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 139018

James Elkins works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-21-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. James earned $153,864 in 2026.

Tina Sloan

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-08-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 104060

Tina Sloan holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-08-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $153,864.

Latasha Wassom

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-08-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 155217

Latasha Wassom is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-08-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

Caroline Ballentine

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-26-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 502976

Caroline Ballentine works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-26-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Caroline earned $153,864 in 2026.

John Dollar

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-28-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Patrick

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 446031

John Dollar works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-28-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. John earned $153,864 in 2026.

John Fortuno

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-10-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 105313

John Fortuno is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-10-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

Steven Morgan

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-10-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 120633

Steven Morgan is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-10-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

Stephen Moore

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-22-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 375430

Stephen Moore is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-22-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

Erinn Oleary

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-11-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Rene

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 435004

Erinn Oleary works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-11-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Erinn earned $153,864 in 2026.

Kelly Skeen

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-15-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 129574

Kelly Skeen is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-15-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

David Shinn

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-12-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 125919

David Shinn holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-12-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $153,864.

Scott Rich

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-28-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 120602

At Public Defenders Conference, Scott Rich serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-28-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $153,864.

Kathryn Stamey

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-19-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 534749

Kathryn Stamey holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-19-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $153,864.

William Harold

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$153,864

Sub-department: JD-17-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $153,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,822
Employee ID: 142971

William Harold is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-17-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $153,864.

Adam Elrod

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-06-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 540102

At Public Defenders Conference, Adam Elrod serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-06-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $150,096.

Randall Fleming

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-02-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 538024

Randall Fleming works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-02-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Randall earned $150,096 in 2026.

Candace Garner

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-05-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 470598

Candace Garner holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-05-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $150,096.

David Schmidt

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-11-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 356775

At Public Defenders Conference, David Schmidt serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-11-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $150,096.

William Eledge

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-32-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 149378

At Public Defenders Conference, William Eledge serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-32-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $150,096.

James Elrod

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-05-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 139455

James Elrod works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-05-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. James earned $150,096 in 2026.

Steven Garner

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-21-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 503176

Steven Garner holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-21-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $150,096.

Leanne Moore

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-24-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 545465

Leanne Moore is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-24-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $150,096.

Aaron Rochelle

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-15-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 126029

Aaron Rochelle works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-15-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Aaron earned $150,096 in 2026.

Allison West

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-13-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Rasbury

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 148977

Allison West works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-13-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Allison earned $150,096 in 2026.

John Gholson

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$150,096

Sub-department: JD-15-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $150,096
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,096
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Archer

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $12,508
Employee ID: 340212

John Gholson holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-15-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $150,096.