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Paralegal Salary

As legal fees continue to increase, pricing themselves outside of what the typical American can afford, law firms are turning to paralegals to help pass on affordable services to their clients.  Delegating day-to-day legal responsibilities to paralegals can help attorneys focus on winning cases.

Depending on several variables, paralegals make anywhere from $36,800 to $60,600 with an average of $47,000 as the median salary.  The highest paid 10% of legal secretaries make upwards of $75,700.  Obviously there are several variables that will determine a paralegal’s salary, including geographic location, education, experience, demand, industry, and employment location.

Paralegal Salary by Industry

To illustrate how working within different industries affects a paralegal’s salary, here are some statistics from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey Program.

  • Paralegals employed by the Federal Government earn approximately $56,100 annually
  • Paralegals employed by the Local Government earn approximately $42,200 annually
  • Paralegals employed by legal services earn approximately $41,500 annually
  • Paralegals employed by the State Government earn approximately $38,000 annually

Cities With the Highest Paid Paralegals

According to www.payscale.com, the top paid paralegals work in the following cities:

  1. Palo Alto, California
  2. San Jose, California
  3. Los Angeles, California
  4. Stamford, Connecticut
  5. Boca Raton, Florida
  6. Santa Rose, California
  7. San Francisco, California
  8. Irvine, California
  9. West Palm Beach, Florida
  10. Manhattan, New York
  11. Oakland, California
  12. Garden City, New York
  13. Miami, Florida
  14. New Haven, Connecticut
  15. Sacramento, California
  16. Honolulu, Hawaii
  17. Washington, D.C.
  18. Boise, Idaho
  19. Portland, Oregon
  20. Naples, Florida

Paralegal Education

In order to qualify for paralegal jobs, it is important to invest in a paralegal education to give you the necessary credentials and credibility.  Paralegals commonly earn a certificate or associate’s degree which will prepare them for an entry-level paralegal position.  Only a handful of educational institutions offer bachelor’s or master’s degrees.  This education will help equip paralegal professionals with the important skills required on the job.  Considering the annual salary that a paralegal can make without a four-year college degree, investing in a paralegal program is a great return on investment.

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