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The differences between legal transcriptionists and 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 legal transcriptionist and a paralegal. Additionally, a paralegal has an average salary of $49,943, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a legal transcriptionist.
The top three skills for a legal transcriptionist include transcription, legal terminology and dictation. The most important skills for a paralegal are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $48,622 | $49,943 |
| Hourly rate | $23.38 | $24.01 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 6,047 | 5,177 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A legal transcriptionist produces written transcriptions of audio recordings from various legal conversions such as consultations, interviews, and court proceedings. It is their responsibility to deliver accurate transcriptions, from dialogues to gestures and diction. To carry out their duties, they must maintain an active communication line with the employer, keep an eye out for errors and inconsistencies, and organize files accordingly. Moreover, a legal transcriptionist may directly work at government offices and legal firms. They can also work as independent contractors, typically working from home.
Paralegals are law firm or legal department employees who work on cases with lawyers. They handle different activities, usually administrative or clerical, such as organizing and maintaining files, updating records, and managing correspondences, among others. Paralegals also handle different activities directly related to active cases being worked on by lawyers in the firm or department. They assist lawyers on cases by preparing materials needed for trials, conducting legal research, verifying trial facts, helping during interviews, getting statements from those involved in the case, and creating presentation materials. Paralegals should have knowledge of laws and should be familiar with landmark cases.
Legal transcriptionists and paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $48,622 | $49,943 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Arnall Golden Gregory |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal transcriptionist and a paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between legal transcriptionists' and paralegals' demographics:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.5% Female, 93.5% | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 5.7% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |