Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.
Median salary
$62,890/yr
Typical range
$50,340 – $80,080
Education
Bachelor's degree
Time to entry
About 4 years
What a Paralegals and Legal Assistants does
Support lawyers by conducting legal research, organizing case files, drafting documents, and managing administrative tasks in law firms and legal departments. They help prepare cases and ensure legal compliance for clients.
Education & path
The typical entry point is a bachelor's degree. About 4 years.
Estimated cost of that path: ~$40,000. Estimated payback: ~3 years. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.
Related careers
- Lawyers — $159,670/yr
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers — $58,650/yr
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates — $153,990/yr
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers — $117,860/yr
- Judicial Law Clerks — $64,920/yr
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