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The differences between immigration paralegals and litigation paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an immigration paralegal and a litigation paralegal. Additionally, an immigration paralegal has an average salary of $67,056, which is higher than the $58,484 average annual salary of a litigation paralegal.
The top three skills for an immigration paralegal include management system, government agencies and USCIS. The most important skills for a litigation paralegal are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.
| Immigration Paralegal | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $67,056 | $58,484 |
| Hourly rate | $32.24 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 4,279 | 5,132 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Working alongside immigration lawyers, an immigration paralegal is in charge of liaising and assisting clients through the progress of their visa petitions or other cases. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and securing foreign documents, coordinating with immigration managers, managing and filing documentation, preparing applications, and handling case systems and other databases. Furthermore, as an immigration paralegal, it is essential to update clients with the progress of their cases, answering their inquiries and helping them navigate through the procedures as needed.
A litigation paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.
Immigration paralegals and litigation paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Immigration Paralegal | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $67,056 | $58,484 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $97,000 | Between $40,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | American Express | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an immigration paralegal and a litigation paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Immigration Paralegal | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between immigration paralegals' and litigation paralegals' demographics:
| Immigration Paralegal | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |