Paralegals or legal assistants have a variety of duties and responsibilities that support the work of lawyers.
These duties include organizing legal documents, doing research, setting up schedules and appointments with other lawyers, clients, and witnesses, as well as to prepare evidence for trials.
Paralegals work in a variety of organizations such as law firms but they also work in government agencies as well as private corporations with in-house legal counsels.
They also work in finance and insurance, conducting legal research and interviews. Their work environment involves working indoors in an office, in the field gathering information, and in courthouses.
Paralegal Salary
How much do paralegals make? The average annual paralegal salary is or $24.49 per hour. The lower 10% earns an annual average of $31,400 while the upper 10% earns an annual average of $82,050.
Average annual salaries also differ in terms of industry. Paralegals that work in the federal government earn an annual average of $67,340, while those who work in finance and insurance earn an average of $62,020. Those who work in the local government earn an average of $50,400, while those who work in legal services earn an average of $48,880, and those who work in the state government earn an average of $46,970.
Paralegals who work in large firms in large cities earn the most and have the most employment opportunities.
A paralegal starting salary depends on the size of the law firm, the industry, and the qualifications of a paralegal. There are several ways to become a paralegal from on the job training to master’s degrees.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alaska | 1.74 | $31.21 | $64,920 |
 | California | 1.99 | $29.30 | $60,940 |
 | New Jersey | 1.60 | $27.69 | $57,600 |
 | Washington | 1.85 | $27.21 | $56,590 |
 | New York | 2.57 | $27.02 | $56,200 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Component Manufacturing | 0.03 | $39.81 | $82,810 |
| Software Publishers | 0.09 | $37.03 | $77,030 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment – Supplies Merchant, Wholesalers | 0.05 | $35.00 | $72,810 |
| Information Services | – | $34.90 | $72,580 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 0.03 | $34.87 | $72,530 |
Paralegal Job Description
Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks that assist and support a lawyer’s job. These involve maintaining and organizing documents, be it paper or electronic, conduct legal research, and draft legal documents.
Paralegals also help lawyers prepare for trials through reserving an office space, preparing evidence, and organizing needed documents.
They work in a variety of organizations such as law firms, corporate settings, and government agencies. A paralegal’s job is full time and working overtime, over holidays and weekends are often required when meeting a deadline or an upcoming trial.
Among the specific duties of a paralegal includes investigating the facts of a case, conducting interviews, and researching laws and regulations. they also gather and arrange evidence to present to the attorney for review and case preparation. Paralegals are also in charge of maintaining and organizing documents, and storing them in electronic files.
Their other duties involve drafting legal documents such as contracts, affidavits, and other formal statements. They are also in charge of calling clients, witnesses, and other lawyers and are responsible for scheduling interviews, meetings, and depositions.
Paralegals who work in smaller firms and smaller cities often do a wide variety of tasks while those who work in larger firms often do specific tasks such as working on one case from start to finish. They can also specialize in a specific field such as litigation, family law, immigration, special injury, corporate law, employee benefits, criminal law, intellectual property, real estate, or bankruptcy.
Senior paralegals in larger firms also oversee special projects where they delegate duties to a team of other paralegals.
There is a total of 277,000 jobs for paralegals in the country, with the industry of legal services employing the most number with 72%. The federal government employs 5% of this total number of paralegals, while the local government also employs 5%, and the state government employs 4%. The finance and insurance industry employs 3% of this total number.
Paralegal Job Outlook
The projected increase in paralegal jobs from 2016 to 2026 is 15%, which is faster than the average. More and more corporate companies will decide to have in-house legal counsels with the growth of their companies, leading to more demand for paralegals in the corporate industry.
Law firms who want to reduce lawyers’ fees are also seen to contribute to the increase of demand for paralegals since certain duties can be performed by a paralegal rather than an actual lawyer.
From 2016 to 2026, about 41,800 jobs are seen to be created, opening up more employment opportunities for paralegals.
Paralegals who have experience, formal training, and are equipped with the latest knowledge in electronic documentation are seen to have the most prospects in terms of job opportunities.
Paralegal Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 1.201 | $22.04 | $45,830 |
| Alaska | 1.74 | $31.21 | $64,920 |
 | Arizona | 1.883 | $23.74 | $49,390 |
 | Arkansas | 1.183 | $19.21 | $39,960 |
| California | 1.988 | $29.30 | $60,940 |
 | Colorado | 2.268 | $25.11 | $52,240 |
 | Connecticut | 3.158 | $25.27 | $52,550 |
 | Delaware | 3.007 | $26.77 | $55,680 |
 | Florida | 3 | $23.41 | $48,690 |
 | Georgia | 2.048 | $26.55 | $55,210 |
 | Hawaii | 1.903 | $24.75 | $51,490 |
 | Idaho | 1.49 | $19.87 | $41,330 |
 | Illinois | 2.093 | $23.57 | $49,020 |
 | Indiana | 1.304 | $20.85 | $43,370 |
 | Iowa | 1.566 | $21.57 | $44,860 |
 | Kansas | 1.363 | $20.57 | $42,790 |
 | Kentucky | 1.7 | $21.51 | $44,730 |
 | Louisiana | 1.852 | $20.50 | $42,640 |
 | Maine | 1.717 | $21.37 | $44,450 |
 | Maryland | 2.239 | $25.18 | $52,360 |
 | Massachusetts | 2.016 | $26.22 | $54,540 |
 | Michigan | 1.312 | $23.00 | $47,850 |
 | Minnesota | 1.895 | $25.31 | $52,640 |
 | Mississippi | 1.365 | $21.23 | $44,160 |
 | Missouri | 1.86 | $22.73 | $47,270 |
 | Montana | 2.132 | $21.24 | $44,180 |
 | Nebraska | 1.425 | $21.06 | $43,810 |
 | Nevada | 1.831 | $23.96 | $49,840 |
 | New Hampshire | 2.015 | $22.90 | $47,630 |
| New Jersey | 1.599 | $27.69 | $57,600 |
 | New Mexico | 1.668 | $20.65 | $42,940 |
| New York | 2.572 | $27.02 | $56,200 |
 | North Carolina | 2.371 | $21.21 | $44,120 |
 | North Dakota | 1.152 | $20.19 | $42,000 |
 | Ohio | 1.439 | $22.10 | $45,960 |
 | Oklahoma | 2.016 | $20.77 | $43,200 |
 | Oregon | 1.628 | $26.66 | $55,460 |
 | Pennsylvania | 1.79 | $25.86 | $53,780 |
 | Rhode Island | 2.425 | $24.21 | $50,350 |
 | South Carolina | 2.726 | $20.39 | $42,410 |
 | South Dakota | 1.082 | $21.06 | $43,810 |
 | Tennessee | 1.563 | $23.59 | $49,070 |
 | Texas | 1.903 | $24.93 | $51,850 |
 | Utah | 1.953 | $20.44 | $42,510 |
 | Vermont | 2.058 | $22.74 | $47,300 |
 | Virginia | 2.352 | $25.18 | $52,370 |
| Washington | 1.847 | $27.21 | $56,590 |
 | West Virginia | 3.082 | $19.63 | $40,830 |
 | Wisconsin | 1.474 | $22.27 | $46,320 |
 | Wyoming | 1.902 | $21.70 | $45,140 |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington/Arlington/Alexandria, DC/VA/MD/WV, Metropolitan Division | 4.14 | $33.59 | $69,880 |
| San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City – CA, Metropolitan Division | 3.06 | $33.56 | $69,800 |
| San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara- CA | 3.10 | $32.52 | $67,640 |
| Anchorage, AK | 2.41 | $32.28 | $67,150 |
| Los Angeles / Long Beach / Glendale, – CA – Metropolitan Division | 1.97 | $31.42 | $65,350 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Alaska -nonmetropolitan area | 1.10 | $30.71 | $63,880 |
| North Coast Region – California, nonmetropolitan area | 1.01 | $27.97 | $58,170 |
| Railbelt – Southwest Alaska – nonmetropolitan area | 0.56 | $27.42 | $57,040 |
| Hawaii – Maui – Kauai – nonmetropolitan area | 0.99 | $26.80 | $55,750 |
| East – Central New York – nonmetropolitan area | 0.96 | $26.53 | $55,190 |
