Public Defender in Maryland: Pay Plan

$87,253 – $190,376

state pay plan range, a year

classes in the state plan

$139,110

median pay in MD, all employers

13,810

workers in MD (SOC 23-1011)

Sources: Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Maryland State Salary Plan (title order) and FY 2027 salary schedules (effective July 1, 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Maryland state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective July 1, 2026. These are the ranges Maryland sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and grade	Published rate
Asst Pub Defender I Class 5430 Grade ASTD 0020 · Standard & Bargaining Unit Employees Salary Schedule (ASTD)	$87,253 – $137,603 a year 24 steps Step 5: $87,253 a year Step 6: $88,999 a year Step 7: $90,779 a year Step 8: $92,595 a year Step 9: $94,447 a year Step 10: $96,337 a year Step 11: $98,265 a year Step 12: $100,231 a year Step 13: $102,235 a year Step 14: $104,281 a year Step 15: $106,366 a year Step 16: $108,494 a year Step 17: $110,664 a year Step 18: $112,878 a year Step 19: $115,136 a year Step 20: $117,439 a year Step 21: $119,789 a year Step 22: $122,185 a year Step 23: $124,629 a year Step 24: $127,122 a year Step 25: $129,665 a year Step 26: $132,258 a year Step 27: $134,904 a year Step 28: $137,603 a year
Asst Pub Defender II Class 5431 Grade ASTD 0021 · Standard & Bargaining Unit Employees Salary Schedule (ASTD)	$93,138 – $146,883 a year 24 steps Step 5: $93,138 a year Step 6: $95,001 a year Step 7: $96,902 a year Step 8: $98,840 a year Step 9: $100,817 a year Step 10: $102,834 a year Step 11: $104,892 a year Step 12: $106,990 a year Step 13: $109,130 a year Step 14: $111,314 a year Step 15: $113,540 a year Step 16: $115,812 a year Step 17: $118,128 a year Step 18: $120,491 a year Step 19: $122,902 a year Step 20: $125,360 a year Step 21: $127,868 a year Step 22: $130,426 a year Step 23: $133,035 a year Step 24: $135,696 a year Step 25: $138,410 a year Step 26: $141,179 a year Step 27: $144,003 a year Step 28: $146,883 a year
Asst Pub Defender III Class 5799 Grade ASTD 0022 · Standard & Bargaining Unit Employees Salary Schedule (ASTD)	$99,442 – $156,822 a year 24 steps Step 5: $99,442 a year Step 6: $101,431 a year Step 7: $103,460 a year Step 8: $105,530 a year Step 9: $107,641 a year Step 10: $109,794 a year Step 11: $111,991 a year Step 12: $114,231 a year Step 13: $116,515 a year Step 14: $118,846 a year Step 15: $121,223 a year Step 16: $123,648 a year Step 17: $126,121 a year Step 18: $128,645 a year Step 19: $131,218 a year Step 20: $133,842 a year Step 21: $136,520 a year Step 22: $139,251 a year Step 23: $142,037 a year Step 24: $144,878 a year Step 25: $147,775 a year Step 26: $150,731 a year Step 27: $153,747 a year Step 28: $156,822 a year
Asst Pub Defender Senior Class 5356 Grade ASTD 0023 · Standard & Bargaining Unit Employees Salary Schedule (ASTD)	$106,087 – $167,304 a year 24 steps Step 5: $106,087 a year Step 6: $108,210 a year Step 7: $110,375 a year Step 8: $112,582 a year Step 9: $114,835 a year Step 10: $117,131 a year Step 11: $119,474 a year Step 12: $121,864 a year Step 13: $124,302 a year Step 14: $126,789 a year Step 15: $129,326 a year Step 16: $131,913 a year Step 17: $134,552 a year Step 18: $137,244 a year Step 19: $139,989 a year Step 20: $142,790 a year Step 21: $145,646 a year Step 22: $148,559 a year Step 23: $151,531 a year Step 24: $154,562 a year Step 25: $157,653 a year Step 26: $160,807 a year Step 27: $164,023 a year Step 28: $167,304 a year
Asst Pub Defender V Class 5118 Grade STD 0025 · Standard & Bargaining Unit Employees Salary Schedule (STD)	$120,722 – $190,376 a year 24 steps Step 5: $120,722 a year Step 6: $123,136 a year Step 7: $125,600 a year Step 8: $128,112 a year Step 9: $130,675 a year Step 10: $133,288 a year Step 11: $135,955 a year Step 12: $138,674 a year Step 13: $141,448 a year Step 14: $144,278 a year Step 15: $147,163 a year Step 16: $150,107 a year Step 17: $153,109 a year Step 18: $156,171 a year Step 19: $159,296 a year Step 20: $162,482 a year Step 21: $165,732 a year Step 22: $169,047 a year Step 23: $172,428 a year Step 24: $175,877 a year Step 25: $179,395 a year Step 26: $182,983 a year Step 27: $186,643 a year Step 28: $190,376 a year

Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Maryland State Salary Plan (title order) and FY 2027 salary schedules (effective July 1, 2026). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in Maryland, all employers Sourced

Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) in Maryland, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

Measure	MD
Workers	13,810
10th percentile	$81,730
Median	$139,110
90th percentile	$269,020
National median, government employers	$134,680

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Free practice tests for Maryland

Maryland Bar Examination (NextGen UBE)
Maryland version · free on Open Exam Prep
Multistate Bar Examination
Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Multistate Essay Examination
Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Multistate Performance Test
Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
Practice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
NextGen Bar Examination
Practice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Uniform Bar Examination
Practice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Public Defender page.

Public Defender in other states

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