Paralegal Career Profile
Paralegal Salary Factsheet
The American Bar Association (ABA) defines a paralegal as “a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.”
Paralegal Salaries Data
According to ParalegalToday.com the average salary of a paralegal is $52,979 on a national level. The highest paid paralegals were those working in a corporate capacity. Their average pay was $61,764. Right behind them were paralegals who were working in law firms earning on average of $51,686 per year and the third highest paid paralegals were those working for the government at $51,028.
Besides the workplace setting, how much a paralegal makes depends also on: their years of experience, speciality and geographical area.
Paralegal Salary by State
Please move your cursor over your state to find out the average annual paralegal/legal assistant salary.
THE PARALEGAL CAREER
Search for paralegal programs in your area! In just 12 months, you could be ready for case preparation, legal research, courtroom assistance, document preparation and more in a law office, corporation, government agency or your own practice.
Education Requirements
Most of those entering the paralegal profession have some type of formal education. Although it’s not impossible to get a paralegal job without this, most employers favor those who have completed a paralegal program. There are numerous paralegal programs available, including full-time, part-time, and online options. There are Bachelor degrees and Associate’s degrees as well as various types of paralegal certificates.
Job Growth and Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the paralegal field is expected to grow much faster than average. In the ten-year period between 2008 and 2012, they project a 28% growth. They also anticipate an increased demand for paralegals in areas such as bankruptcy, medical malpractice and product liability.
Paralegal Duties
Nearly three-fourths of paralegals work for law firms, however, paralegals are also employed by corporations (and other businesses,) governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations. Although paralegals are prohibited from performing certain attorney-specific duties such as giving legal advice, setting legal fees, and presenting cases in court, they can do practically everyting else. Thus, the use of paralegals is rapidly increasing as companies and law firms tighten up their budgets.
Read more at: paralegal job description.
How to Become a Paralegal
Those who are considering a paralegal career should strongly consider completing a paralegal education program. There are numerous options available and sufficient research should be done on any program being considered, including evaluation of cost, instructor qualifications, and job placement assistance. Most paralegal programs offer (or require,) a practicum or internship, where students get practical experience in the legal field.
In addition to obtaining a paralegal education, it can be helpful for aspiring paralegals to join their local paralegal association so they can gain contacts in the field. Some paralegals have also moved into their position after obtaining an entry-level role in a law firm (such as a file or mail clerk,) so this could be an option to consider. Read more at how to become a paralegal.
Further References
