Using Lake County as an example, in 2023 the salary range for Deputy Prosecutors (the guys who actually try the cases) was from $87K - $137K. Assuming the top end guys are the ones trying the big felony cases, a top flight criminal defense lawyer in a decent sized urban area would make several times that. Of course, there are also advantages to being a prosecutor: you don’t have overhead, there are no worries as to whether you’ll get paid, and for the most part, you have a better client to work for.