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The differences between paralegals and lawyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a paralegal, becoming a lawyer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $49,943 average annual salary of a paralegal.
The top three skills for a paralegal include litigation, legal research and law firm. The most important skills for a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Paralegal | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,943 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $24.01 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 5,177 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Paralegals and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Paralegal | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $49,943 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Arnall Golden Gregory | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a paralegal and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Paralegal | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Law |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between paralegals' and lawyers' demographics:
| Paralegal | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |