A paralegal is considered as the right hand of a lawyer, the job of paralegal is to assist the lawyer amd can earn a high paralegal salary. For those who don’t fancy attending a law school, but are interested in doing something related to a law field being a paralegal is the perfect job. The various jobs assigned to a paralegal include
- Assist the attorney on case research and investigating witnesses
- File divorce agreements and provide sale deed papers
- Helping the lawyer in legal document preparation
- Study and perform research on case related judgements
- Preparing financial documents and legal documents
- Provide contract and affidavit papers
Paralegal salary depends on a lot of factors. One factor is the qualification, which a paralegal has achieved and the other is experience. Also more the amount of work, which a paralegal needs to do more, will be the salary.
A paralegal qualification can be achieved by
- Certificate Program
This is the most primitive of all qualifications. The duration of this course is 1 year. It adheres strictly to the paralegal courses. Fetching a high salary based on this qualification is not possible. Many people add this degree to their resume to bolster their CV.
- Paralegal associate program
This is a 3 year course, which part from the regular paralegal courses also offers business courses. The course is more comprehensive in nature and is quite essential to fetch a job as a paralegal.
- Paralegal Bachelors Program
It is the most exhaustive program available for becoming a paralegal. Chances of a job appointment as a paralegal and commandment of a high salary increase with this qualification. It focuses fully on other aspects of business as well as regular courses.
Paralegal Salary
 Paralegal Salary |
Average Paralegal Salary:
Paralegal Salary Data by BLS.gov(2008). |
Master’s programs are also available if a paralegal wishes to undertake. The duration is of 2 years and it also enables a paralegal to specialize in a particular legal subject. Internship facilities are also available in various institutions, which provide valuable experience.
There are many different types of paralegals. While a Nurse paralegal may seem to be an attractive option for someone with a keen interest in medicine field, someone with a perspective to earn more money will want to become a Patent paralegal. Then there are Real Estate paralegals, who work to ensure that the land deals occur in accordance with law while a Bankruptcy paralegal will work to prepare documents for seizure of property. A paralegal can choose a field according to his convenience.
Many paralegals prefer to work with a firm or a company, while some prefer to work independently. Those working independently can associate themselves with multiple clients helping them to achieve a greater salary packet. However, working independently is recommended for experienced paralegals that know their job well and are well versed in legal attributes. Also, if a paralegal has to comply with a larger workload then his salary will be definitely higher than someone who works under a lesser workload.
The area of the country, in which a paralegal is employed also, plays a significant part in determining the salary of a paralegal. If the cost of living and the standard of people in an area is high, then even a top salary bracket may not be enough for a paralegal. On the contrary, an average salary bracket in a standard locality may prove more beneficial. Choosing an area for work, based on these factors is critical. Also, if an area has a lot of demand for paralegals then the salary will be less, as compared to an area which has a dearth of paralegals. Thickly populated areas are mostly better to choose, as they have the ability to pay better.
Average Paralegal Salary
Experience is one of the chief constituent in determining the Paralegal salary. Entry level paralegal salary will always be low. If the paralegal has a greater experience, it indicates that the individual has more knowledge of the various legal aspects and can command a higher salary. Just as an instance, those with less than 2 years of experience have a yearly average paralegal salary of $40,000 while average salary of a paralegal with an experience of above 7 years is about $70,000 a year. Obtaining experience is vital to improve the salary bracket Paralegal salary. Some firms even take into account the prior experience of a paralegal in a seemingly unrelated field. The bottom line is that, experience of any sort counts.
The law firm which employs a paralegal also plays a huge part in determining the paralegal salary. If the work required by a firm is more detailed and accurate, then pay scale will be higher. Also, the nature of the firm plays a huge part in determining the salary. If the firm handles lucrative cases, then the paralegal will need to work on those cases and will naturally get paid more. Generally, paralegals employed by a corporate firm or litigation earn more than their counterparts employed by non profit firms. Litigation is a branch of law wherein, results are expected fast. A paralegal with excellent research skills and dedication can excel well in this field.
On an average, the median salary per year of a paralegal is around $45,000. A paralegal must show the skills and the desire to seek a hike in the salary. Also, many a times a paralegal salary is determined the level at which a paralegal is employed. For an entry level paralegal, salary ranges from $30,000 to $40,000 a year. For a corporate paralegal, who is employed by major firms and companies the salary is around $40,000 to $60,000 a year. A senior level paralegal commands a salary of above $65,000 in most cases.
Many paralegals today take up government jobs because of the facilities it offers. Apart from the reasonable salary, the job provides a security and bonus. The job depiction of a government paralegal is fixed and may suit those who prefer to know their work well in advance. The job is less innovative though as the work may seem routine to some paralegals but they still earn a steady paralegal salary.
