Corporate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal

The differences between corporate paralegals and contractor-paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a corporate paralegal and a contractor-paralegal. Additionally, a corporate paralegal has an average salary of $67,515, which is higher than the $60,686 average annual salary of a contractor-paralegal.

The top three skills for a corporate paralegal include litigation, corporate governance and legal research. The most important skills for a contractor-paralegal are litigation, legal research, and discovery responses.

Corporate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal overview

	Corporate Paralegal	Contractor-Paralegal
Yearly salary	$67,515	$60,686
Hourly rate	$32.46	$29.18
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	13,482	15,609
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

What does a corporate paralegal do?

A Corporate Paralegal helps attorneys gather information and materials in preparation for different kinds of cases, hearings, or meetings. They also work in the legal departments of large corporations and for government agencies.

What does a contractor-paralegal do?

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.

Corporate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal salary

Corporate paralegals and contractor-paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Paralegal	Contractor-Paralegal
Average salary	$67,515	$60,686
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $106,000	Between $37,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Camarillo, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton	SeaSpine
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between corporate paralegal and contractor-paralegal education

There are a few differences between a corporate paralegal and a contractor-paralegal in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Paralegal	Contractor-Paralegal
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Legal Support Services	Legal Support Services
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Harvard University

Corporate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal demographics

Here are the differences between corporate paralegals' and contractor-paralegals' demographics:

	Corporate Paralegal	Contractor-Paralegal
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between corporate paralegal and contractor-paralegal duties and responsibilities

Corporate paralegal example responsibilities.

Manage a team of five to prepare over 100 UCC-1 forms to meet a 48 hour deadline.
Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
Prepare documents such as estoppel certificates, subordination agreements and commencement agreements.
Collect and prepare information and draft answers to department litigation including informational statements, pleadings, and affidavits.
Involve in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigations, document review/management, and trial preparation.
Analyze and review of new and existing commercial lease agreements, estoppel certificates, subordination and non-disturbance agreements and lease amendments.

Contractor-paralegal example responsibilities.

Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
Assist staff counsels in all aspects of litigation management including factual investigation, document preparation, trial preparation and support.
Research using Lexis Nexis and online resources.
Summarize medical records, check blue-book cites, retrieve statutory and case law on LEXIS ,
Complete contract work for local attorneys in the areas of civil, family law, personal injury, and probate matters.
Prepare, compile and distribute various PowerPoint presentations.

Corporate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal skills

Common corporate paralegal skills

Litigation, 9%
Corporate Governance, 7%
Legal Research, 6%
Mergers, 5%
Securities, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%

Common contractor-paralegal skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Research, 9%
Discovery Responses, 7%
PowerPoint, 7%
In-House Counsel, 5%
Contract Database, 5%

Corporate Paralegal vs. similar jobs

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Corporate Paralegal related jobs

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Legal Industry
Corporate Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal vs Contractor-Paralegal

Updated January 8, 2025

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