MOBILE - CELL VERSION

Paralegal Salary - an Overview Insight and Incentives
November 2014 - by Ric Riccobono/Director

In this Article we're going to outline some of the salaries for Paralegals in different parts of the country and the world. I'm not going into the basic duties and job functions of becoming a Paralegal because by now you are already aware of this or you wouldn't be taking the Legal Field Careers courses, plus we cover a lot of this on our site and in our various creative articles. I know that the Salary part of becoming a PL is one of your main concerns as you are making a career decision here. This is why we recommend reading through our ongoing Creative Articles Section and see some unique avenues of opportunity that await you in your new career as a Paralegal.

First off, the Paralegal Salary is one of the highest in legal area. Paralegal and Legal Secretary Services actually got their start in the 60's. Paralegals in the legal industry were considered as playing a vital role in making legal services readily available to the public, a role that helped to cut down expenses in legal services and provide solid support to law firms. Without going into detail on various areas of opportunity available for Paralegals I refer you to one of our unique articles at our Articles Section, you will see that there are many more avenues available for PL's than you have imagined. There are also some unique ways to increase your career and actually make your own business as a PL.

Average Paralegal Salaries at a Glance

*Note: Keep in mind some of these figures may be slightly dated as they are normally collected in a year’s brackets, but are considered to be 'recent', therefore these figures could quite possibly be on the low side. Also consider that in some cases, if you're just starting out you may start at a slightly lower rate than the figures given, but that usually advances fairly quickly if you perform well in your job.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the average PL salary is around $46,680 per year based on a 2010 data gathering report, but expected to increase by almost 20% over the next 10 years. Keep in mind, this is only an average. Other data gathering sources such as PayScale, Salary.com, Paralegal Today and others provide figures 'Average Paralegal' of between $47k to $52k, not bad.

Now, if you put on your Thinking Cap and you have enough drive and creative insight, you can actually run your own PL business and this especially holds true if you seek out a niche (specialized area). This is why we at Legal Field Careers doesn’t just tell you to go get a 'Job' and send you on your way like some others might, we offer you some creative areas of expansion as you take our courses.

Let me give you just a couple examples here; High paying industries are areas such as Security and Commodity exchange firms where the average salary can be over $69k. The Software Industry averages over $80k. Think about your future.

State Salary Samples:

If you're wondering about Paralegal Salaries across the country, here are a few just to give you a brief sampling:

	California, the state of the highest salary bracket according to Pay Scale has figures of $32,232 to $73,407.
	New York is very close with ranges of $29,961 to $66,703
	Texas is from $30,630 to $64,858
	Florida is from $29,438 to $60,829
	Pennsylvania is from $29,348 to $66,324
	Georgia is from $29,683 to $59,158
	Illinois is from $29,645 to $67,277

What about other Countries:

Here are just a few examples of what other countries pay if you're eventually considering a move outside of the U.S.

	Canada Source: Pay Scale $32k to $68k. Also Canadian PL's receive other types of cash benefits like bonuses, profit sharing and commission rates, all or any of which would increase the average figures provided.
	Australia $35k to over $68k As recorded by Pay Scale
	New Zealand Median range is over $53k. These rates usually increase with supervisory positions
	UK UK paralegal basic pay is lower at £13,130 to £26,200, but don't forget to calculate the exchange rate on this one.

So there you have it, incentive to do the best in your courses with Legal Field Careers and to expand your avenues of potential when you graduate. Let us know your creative decision, we'd be interested in hearing from you. - - Ric

Written by Ric Riccobono, Attorney at Law
Course Provder forLAVC Extension Program

Collaboration with: Bob Schott
Actor-Producer-Director with over 28 Years in the Entertainment Industry
Who's Who in America and the World 2006-2013
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Additional Resource: Dealing with the Trick Questions in interviews, and more! Here's an interesting support article by Skip Freeman, author of "Headhunter" Hiring Secrets' that you might find interestingly useful. The Trick to Answering "Trick" Interview Questions

Now complete your graduation and land that GREAT ‘Career'!

And don't Forget - Watch our New Legal Field Classes Video Featuring Lead Paralegal Instructor, Jonathan Arnold, esq.

Watch our New Legal Secretary Video and also Read the HR Career Opportunity Article		Watch our New Paralegal Careers Video and Read the Virtual Paralegal Article