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The differences between contractor-paralegals and paralegal specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a contractor-paralegal and a paralegal specialist. Additionally, a paralegal specialist has an average salary of $61,244, which is higher than the $60,686 average annual salary of a contractor-paralegal.
The top three skills for a contractor-paralegal include litigation, legal research and discovery responses. The most important skills for a paralegal specialist are legal research, litigation, and government agencies.
| Contractor-Paralegal | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $60,686 | $61,244 |
| Hourly rate | $29.18 | $29.44 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 15,609 | 4,185 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.
A Paralegal Specialist provides assistance to lawyers and does many of the same jobs that lawyers do. They work in various areas, such as family, environmental, or real estate law.
Contractor-paralegals and paralegal specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contractor-Paralegal | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Average salary | $60,686 | $61,244 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $99,000 | Between $35,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Camarillo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | SeaSpine | DLA Piper |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a contractor-paralegal and a paralegal specialist in terms of educational background:
| Contractor-Paralegal | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between contractor-paralegals' and paralegal specialists' demographics:
| Contractor-Paralegal | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |