How Much Does A Legal Assistant Make?
Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, have been a great help for lawyers in assisting them with their everyday tasks doing legal matters. Because of the positive job outlook for legal assistants in the United States, a lot of people have considered becoming a paralegal for a living.
How much does a legal assistant make?
Working as a paralegal is a rewarding profession, so how much does a legal assistant earn? Similar to other professions, the salary would be varied because of several factors affecting its variation such as level of experience, who they work for, where they work and a lot more. Read on to learn more.
- Starting salary for legal assistants with no experience can come around $25,000 to $40,000 a year.
- The largest employers that hire legal assistants are private law firms, hiring over 70% of the total number of legal assistants. Salaries can vary from $45,000 to more than $70,000 a year depending on years of service.
- Paralegals may also work for industries like the state or federal executive government, companies, insurance carriers and a lot more. Aside from the salary, legal assistants may also receive a generous benefit and top-standard perks.
- Level of experience and certifications also plays an important part in determining a legal assistant’s salary. Paralegals can be categorized according to experience as Paralegal I, II, III, IV, and Paralegal Manager. Legal assistants on the first level can earn around $42,000 to $54,000 a year, while Paralegal managers can earn from $70,000 to over $100,000 a year.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top five highest-paying states are California, District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Legal assistants working in these states can expect to earn on average, around $55,000 to over $70,000 a year.
It is undeniably a lucrative career working as a legal assistant. Aside from getting paid for your work, most of the paralegals also enjoy abundant perks and generous benefits that make the job more appealing. Once you consider becoming a legal assistant, consider taking every move to advance in your career as competition is tight. Gain as much education, experience and certifications as this will help you to have greater opportunities in the industry.
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