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The differences between legal receptionists and assistant paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a legal receptionist, becoming an assistant paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an assistant paralegal has an average salary of $55,677, which is higher than the $32,592 average annual salary of a legal receptionist.
The top three skills for a legal receptionist include law firm, paralegals and litigation. The most important skills for an assistant paralegal are law firm, litigation, and paralegals.
| Legal Receptionist | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $32,592 | $55,677 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $26.77 |
| Growth rate | - | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 23,699 | 6,331 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
In law firms, a legal receptionist serves the clients' first point of contact. They are primarily in charge of greeting and professionally interacting with clients, identifying their needs, answering questions, and escorting visitors to offices. They must also perform clerical tasks such as handling calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, confirming schedules, maintaining records, managing the flow and deliveries of mails and other forms of documentation, and assisting attorneys as needed. Furthermore, a legal receptionist must manage the law firm's facilities, such as the lobby and meeting offices.
Assistant paralegals are legal professionals who plan, develop, and manage cases. The assistant paralegals collect and arrange evidence and legal documents for review by attorneys and case preparation. They draft correspondence, document responses, discoveries, and pleadings. It is their duty to analyze and either write or summarize reports so that attorneys can prepare for their trials. They contact and have a conference with their clients. Among the skills the paralegal assistant needs to possess include communication, writing, research, organization, and confidentiality.
Legal receptionists and assistant paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Receptionist | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $32,592 | $55,677 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $30,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Winget | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a legal receptionist and an assistant paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Legal Receptionist | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Political Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between legal receptionists' and assistant paralegals' demographics:
| Legal Receptionist | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.0% Female, 94.0% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 5.7% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |