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

William Cathcart

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-31-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 624650

William Cathcart works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-31-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. William earned $93,144 in 2026.

Brennan Foy

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-16-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 604705

Brennan Foy works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-16-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Brennan earned $93,144 in 2026.

Elijah Pack

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-12-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 568666

Elijah Pack works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-12-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Elijah earned $93,144 in 2026.

Thomas Rader

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-07-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 580340

Thomas Rader works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-07-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Thomas earned $93,144 in 2026.

Joseph Sandford

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-06-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Francis

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 709758

Joseph Sandford works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-06-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Joseph earned $93,144 in 2026.

Robert Wagonschutz

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-22-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 564963

Robert Wagonschutz holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-22-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $93,144.

Heather Bosau

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-06-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 646525

Heather Bosau holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-06-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $93,144.

Jonathan Carroll

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-11-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 602573

Jonathan Carroll holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-11-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $93,144.

Sarah Byers

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-17-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 559704

Sarah Byers is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-17-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $93,144.

Jennifer Davis

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-02-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 635257

At Public Defenders Conference, Jennifer Davis serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-02-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $93,144.

Patrick Niblock

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-26-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 624841

Patrick Niblock holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-26-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $93,144.

Brooke Spivey

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$93,144

Sub-department: JD-06-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $93,144
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,762
Employee ID: 722252

Brooke Spivey works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-06-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Brooke earned $93,144 in 2026.

Lydia Dowdy

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-16-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 577474

Lydia Dowdy works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-16-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Lydia earned $88,728 in 2026.

Andrew Mcnicholas

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-16-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 567379

Andrew Mcnicholas is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-16-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $88,728.

Matthew Moore

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-26-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 644848

Matthew Moore holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-26-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $88,728.

Dennis Munger

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-10-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Tyler

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 603098

Dennis Munger is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-10-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $88,728.

Kristin Bastian

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-05-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 591346

Kristin Bastian 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 $88,728.

Konner Brabson

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-03-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 632801

Konner Brabson is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-03-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $88,728.

Stephen Gallant

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-15-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 555038

At Public Defenders Conference, Stephen Gallant serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Jd-15-Dist Pub Defender. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $88,728.

Graeson Mccaslin

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-04-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Q

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 586492

Graeson Mccaslin holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-04-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $88,728.

Joseline Pugh

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-29-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 582682

Joseline Pugh works as a Assistant Public Defender for Public Defenders Conference within Jd-29-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. Joseline earned $88,728 in 2026.

Jake Beggin

Assistant Public Defender/Public Defenders Conference

2026 total comp

$88,728

Sub-department: JD-14-Dist Pub Defender
Base pay: $88,728
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,728
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay basis: Monthly
Middle name: Christopher

Source-specific fields

Compensation Rate: $7,394
Employee ID: 667319

Jake Beggin holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defenders Conference within Jd-14-Dist Pub Defender. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $88,728.