Paralegal Salary
$48,810
Job Growth
3/5
Competition
Average
Education
Certificate
Overview: What does a Paralegal do?
While lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. One of a paralegal’s most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases. After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled.
Resources to become a Paralegal
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Advancement Opportunities: 71% of Average This calculation shows your opportunity for increases in earnings over time. It shows the relative strength of different careers as compared to each other |
Average Starting Median income: $48,810 |
Return on Educational Investment: 81% of Average Shows the relative return on investment of an education beyond high school. The calculation uses potential earning levels over time adjusted for the cost and the time of additional education. |
Job Growth: 3/5 |
Benefits: Yes |
All scores range from 1-100. Higher scores are better with the exception of stress. |
Bragging rights: 50/100 Based on prestige and social approval, fame and public recognition, high income, highly educated, clean versus “dirty” industry, and level of people you deal with. |
Interesting Job: 68/100 Based on exciting subject or environment, variety of activities, fun interaction with people, creating versus completing, and learning interesting things. |
Personal Freedom: 55/100 Based on controlling your work, not closely managed, choosing your assignments, tolerable rules and regulations, creative freedom, and setting your own hours. |
Stress: 48/100 Based on Intense responsibility (life/death), continuous rejection, dealing with people’s problems, lack of control, quota or sales pressure, and work volume/time pressure. |
Years to make $1,000,000 - 23 Years |
Years to make $2,000,000 - 38 Years |
Years to make $3,000,000 - 45+ Years |