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Paralegal vs notary public

The differences between paralegals and notary publics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a notary public has an average salary of $54,219, 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 notary public are affidavits, notary, and administer oaths.

Paralegal vs notary public overview

ParalegalNotary Public
Yearly salary$49,943$54,219
Hourly rate$24.01$26.07
Growth rate14%-
Number of jobs5,17710,763
Job satisfaction54.67
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age4643
Years of experience12-

Paralegal vs notary public salary

Paralegals and notary publics have different pay scales, as shown below.

ParalegalNotary Public
Average salary$49,943$54,219
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $70,000Between $28,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyArnall Golden Gregory-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between paralegal and notary public education

There are a few differences between a paralegal and a notary public in terms of educational background:

ParalegalNotary Public
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityBoston University

Paralegal vs notary public demographics

Here are the differences between paralegals' and notary publics' demographics:

ParalegalNotary Public
Average age4643
Gender ratioMale, 22.4% Female, 77.6%Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%7%

Differences between paralegal and notary public duties and responsibilities

Paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
  • Manage discovery process of lawsuits by preparing pleadings and subpoenas for records and answering requests for production and interrogatories.
  • Manage large volume of documents, enabling attorneys to easily identify key documents that are critical for mediation and arbitration.
  • Prepare H-1B petition with supporting evidence and supplementary forms for attorney review and filing with USCIS.
  • Conduct legal research on Lexis and factual inquiries regarding pending litigation.
  • Review Lexis Nexis for any and all relevant documents regarding hormone replacement litigation.
  • Show more

Notary public example responsibilities.

  • Project manage the implementation of a third party OFAC customer verification module for branch personnel.
  • Notarize complaints and statements as a certify notary public.
  • Provide notary services for individuals and businesses upon request.
  • Evaluate documents receive for environmental litigation, recommend use and classification of information, and prioritize documents with a negative connotation.
  • Review contracts and input information into RamQuest database.

Paralegal vs notary public skills

Common paralegal skills
  • Litigation, 15%
  • Legal Research, 12%
  • Law Firm, 9%
  • Discovery Responses, 9%
  • Subpoenas, 5%
  • Trial Preparation, 5%
Common notary public skills
  • Affidavits, 47%
  • Notary, 17%
  • Administer Oaths, 14%
  • Escrow, 8%
  • Loan Closings, 8%
  • Title Transfers, 4%