Paralegal | Salary & Job Information

Becoming a Paralegal via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Post University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering paralegal courses to train individuals to become top-notch paralegals, paralegalss, paralegal professionals, real estate paralegals, certified paralegals, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 246,810 people employed as paralegals and legal assistants alone in America, and their average annual salary is $50,080. Law clerks make on average $41,960 per year and there are about 32,630 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Post University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Paralegal
  • Title Companies
  • Court Reporting Companies
  • Public Notaries
  • Legal Service Companies
  • Arbitration Service Companies
  • Process Serving Companies
  • Bankruptcy Firms
  • License Service Companies
  • Abstracting Companies
  • Meditation Instruction Firms
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Paralegal
  • Fast paced
  • High salary
  • Learn decision making person
  • Creating natural relationship with lawyers
  • Delivering legal services for attorney and lawyers
  • Counseling others
  • Become an understanding person
  • Ability to give training to client
  • Vacation benefits
  • Improvement towards society
Potential Drawbacks
  • A good amount of working alone
  • Researching dry cases
  • Reporting to lawyers
  • Considered an underling
  • Working in a corporate arena
  • Cubical for an office
  • Dressing sedately
  • Not given credit for ideas and research
  • Demanding tasks
  • In-office politics
Related Professions to Consider
  • Legal Assistant
  • PI Legal Executive/ Legal Assistant
  • Administrative Assistant-Legal-CO
  • Paralegal/Legal Assistant
  • Personal Injury Legal Assistant
  • Legal Assistant/Office Mangager
  • Part Time Legal Administrative Assistant
  • Legal Clerical Assistant
  • Corporate Legal Administrative Assistant
  • Legal Secretary or Assistant/Downriver Area
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Paralegal
  • What are your long and short range career goals and objectives?
  • When and how did you establish those goals?
  • How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
  • What goals other than those related to your legal career have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?
  • What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
  • What university did you go to?
  • What kind of life do you want?
  • How would you describe yourself?
  • How has your college degree prepared you to work in this firm?
  • Why should I hire you?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Corporate Paralegal
  • Personal Injury Litigation Executive
  • Private Client Paralegal
  • Litigation Paralegal
  • Senior Corporate Paralegal
  • Paralegal Job
  • Legal Assistants
  • Law Clerks
  • Corporate Paralegal
  • Disclosure Paralegal
Paralegal Training books Paralegal (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Law
  • Business Management
  • Economics
  • Political Science
  • English
  • Literature
  • Philosophy
  • History
  • Classics
  • Communications

Paralegal Salary Information

Category: Paralegals and legal assistants

Total # Employed in the US 246,810
Average Hourly Wage: $24.08/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$14.32 $17.67 $22.58 $29.14 $36.39
Average Yearly Salary $50,080
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$29,800 $36,760 $46,980 $60,620 $75,700
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.8% 14.0% 26.6% 18.4% 33.7% 4.1% 2.4%
Paralegals and legal assistants — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $31.14/hr $64,760
Oklahoma $28.91/hr $60,140
Colorado $28.5/hr $59,270
Kansas $26.29/hr $54,690
Alaska $25.31/hr $52,640
North Dakota $25.22/hr $52,460
District of Columbia $25.2/hr $52,410
Idaho $24.69/hr $51,350
Missouri $24.54/hr $51,050
Delaware $24.45/hr $50,850
New York $24.38/hr $50,720
Tennessee $24.35/hr $50,640
Mississippi $24.2/hr $50,330
Wyoming $23.84/hr $49,590
Connecticut $23.83/hr $49,570
Utah $23.7/hr $49,290
Nebraska $23.62/hr $49,130
Virginia $23.6/hr $49,090
Montana $23.47/hr $48,810
Puerto Rico $23.18/hr $48,210
Indiana $22.9/hr $47,640
Arkansas $22.86/hr $47,550
Hawaii $22.05/hr $45,870
New Hampshire $21.6/hr $44,920
South Carolina $21.25/hr $44,200
Alabama $20.98/hr $43,640
North Carolina $20.92/hr $43,510
South Dakota $20.92/hr $43,520
Louisiana $20.79/hr $43,240
Massachusetts $20.47/hr $42,570
Guam $20.3/hr $42,220
Michigan $20.1/hr $41,820
Maine $20.09/hr $41,790
Ohio $20.03/hr $41,650
Washington $19.96/hr $41,510
Oregon $19.76/hr $41,100
Wisconsin $19.2/hr $39,930
Maryland $19.18/hr $39,880
Kentucky $19.01/hr $39,530
Iowa $19/hr $39,530
Pennsylvania $18.95/hr $39,420
New Mexico $18.9/hr $39,310
New Jersey $18.5/hr $38,480
Nevada $18.33/hr $38,120
West Virginia $18.05/hr $37,550
California $17.85/hr $37,130


Category: Law clerks

Total # Employed in the US 32,630
Average Hourly Wage: $20.17/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$10.79 $13.88 $18.46 $24.42 $32.06
Average Yearly Salary $41,960
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$22,450 $28,870 $38,390 $50,790 $66,690
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.1% 19.1% 27.4% 13.5% 27.0% 6.6% 4.3%
Law clerks — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $31.52/hr $65,570
Delaware $29.14/hr $60,600
New York $28.3/hr $58,870
Oregon $27.17/hr $56,520
Tennessee $26.41/hr $54,930
Mississippi $24.99/hr $51,980
Michigan $24.7/hr $51,380
Indiana $24.3/hr $50,540
Ohio $24.14/hr $50,220
North Dakota $23.17/hr $48,180
Nebraska $22.34/hr $46,470
Colorado $21.9/hr $45,550
Kansas $21.83/hr $45,410
Connecticut $21.6/hr $44,920
Oklahoma $21.34/hr $44,400
Missouri $20.79/hr $43,240
Arkansas $20.21/hr $42,030
Montana $19.93/hr $41,460
Utah $19.77/hr $41,120
Iowa $19.54/hr $40,650
Louisiana $18.74/hr $38,990
Kentucky $18.23/hr $37,910
District of Columbia $18.13/hr $37,710
Wyoming $17.95/hr $37,330
Idaho $17.35/hr $36,090
South Carolina $17.18/hr $35,740
Hawaii $17.01/hr $35,370
Nevada $17.01/hr $35,380
Pennsylvania $16.86/hr $35,070
Alabama $16.69/hr $34,710
New Mexico $16.58/hr $34,490
Washington $16.51/hr $34,350
Massachusetts $16.48/hr $34,270
Guam $16.28/hr $33,870
Maryland $16.11/hr $33,500
South Dakota $15.49/hr $32,220
New Hampshire $15.27/hr $31,760
New Jersey $15.21/hr $31,630
Maine $14.8/hr $30,780
Wisconsin $12.89/hr $26,800
California $12.46/hr $25,920


Category: Legal support workers, all other

Total # Employed in the US 39,590
Average Hourly Wage: $28.19/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$14.79 $19.24 $25.03 $33.88 $46.65
Average Yearly Salary $58,630
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$30,770 $40,010 $52,070 $70,460 $97,040
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.1% 19.1% 27.4% 13.5% 27.0% 6.6% 4.3%
Legal support workers, all other — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
North Dakota $28.62/hr $59,520
Florida $27.86/hr $57,940
Delaware $27.69/hr $57,600
Colorado $27.69/hr $57,590
Nebraska $27.49/hr $57,180
North Carolina $25.47/hr $52,980
Wyoming $24.83/hr $51,640
New York $24.53/hr $51,030
New Hampshire $24.37/hr $50,690
Missouri $24.12/hr $50,160
South Carolina $24.05/hr $50,030
Oklahoma $23.53/hr $48,940
Mississippi $23.32/hr $48,500
Indiana $23.21/hr $48,270
Utah $22.96/hr $47,750
Montana $22.93/hr $47,690
District of Columbia $22.87/hr $47,570
Kansas $22.86/hr $47,550
New Mexico $22.66/hr $47,140
Tennessee $22.33/hr $46,450
Alabama $22.3/hr $46,390
Alaska $22.3/hr $46,380
Hawaii $22.15/hr $46,070
Maine $21.76/hr $45,270
Pennsylvania $21.64/hr $45,000
Kentucky $21.63/hr $44,990
Ohio $21.49/hr $44,700
Arkansas $21.32/hr $44,340
Louisiana $21.29/hr $44,290
Nevada $21.16/hr $44,010
Washington $20.89/hr $43,460
Guam $20.74/hr $43,140
Michigan $20.63/hr $42,900
Idaho $20.57/hr $42,790
Virginia $20.33/hr $42,280
California $20.26/hr $42,140
Maryland $19.8/hr $41,180
Wisconsin $19.37/hr $40,290
Massachusetts $19.26/hr $40,050
South Dakota $18.97/hr $39,460
Oregon $18.72/hr $38,930
New Jersey $17.78/hr $36,980
Iowa $15.27/hr $31,760


Category: Legal secretaries

Total # Employed in the US 244,380
Average Hourly Wage: $20.65/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.66 $15.35 $19.75 $25.16 $30.76
Average Yearly Salary $42,940
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$26,330 $31,930 $41,080 $52,340 $63,980
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.6% 33.0% 34.6% 13.1% 14.1% 2.1% 0.4%
Legal secretaries — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $29.46/hr $61,270
Colorado $24.19/hr $50,310
Missouri $23.8/hr $49,500
Delaware $22.94/hr $47,710
New York $22.85/hr $47,520
Nebraska $22.69/hr $47,190
District of Columbia $22.53/hr $46,860
Connecticut $22.39/hr $46,580
Oklahoma $21.88/hr $45,510
North Dakota $21.59/hr $44,910
Alaska $21.51/hr $44,740
Indiana $21.22/hr $44,140
Kansas $21.12/hr $43,930
Montana $21.08/hr $43,840
Wyoming $20.49/hr $42,630
Mississippi $20.19/hr $41,990
Idaho $19.83/hr $41,250
Utah $19.62/hr $40,810
Arkansas $19.25/hr $40,040
Hawaii $19.25/hr $40,030
Tennessee $19.12/hr $39,770
Oregon $19.02/hr $39,560
Virginia $18.99/hr $39,510
Puerto Rico $18.84/hr $39,190
Guam $18.71/hr $38,920
New Hampshire $18.69/hr $38,880
Nevada $18.46/hr $38,400
North Carolina $18/hr $37,440
South Carolina $17.9/hr $37,230
Kentucky $17.42/hr $36,230
Michigan $17.08/hr $35,530
Massachusetts $17.04/hr $35,440
Alabama $16.91/hr $35,160
Wisconsin $16.61/hr $34,550
Iowa $16.43/hr $34,170
Louisiana $16.18/hr $33,660
New Mexico $16.15/hr $33,600
Washington $15.98/hr $33,240
Ohio $15.93/hr $33,120
California $15.91/hr $33,100
Maryland $15.38/hr $32,000
Maine $14.86/hr $30,900
Pennsylvania $14.48/hr $30,110
South Dakota $14.43/hr $30,020
New Jersey $14.08/hr $29,290


Paralegal Programs by State & City