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The differences between paralegal specialists and legal clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a paralegal specialist and a legal clerk. Additionally, a paralegal specialist has an average salary of $61,244, which is higher than the $35,152 average annual salary of a legal clerk.
The top three skills for a paralegal specialist include legal research, litigation and government agencies. The most important skills for a legal clerk are litigation, legal correspondence, and subpoenas.
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $61,244 | $35,152 |
| Hourly rate | $29.44 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 4,185 | 74,069 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Paralegal Specialist provides assistance to lawyers and does many of the same jobs that lawyers do. They work in various areas, such as family, environmental, or real estate law.
A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives. They may also coordinate with other offices and institutions to acquire files and research data according to the needs of the managing department. A legal clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in monitoring business transactions and submitting reports timely and accurately.
Paralegal specialists and legal clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Clerk | |
| Average salary | $61,244 | $35,152 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $106,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | DLA Piper | Diodes Incorporated |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a paralegal specialist and a legal clerk in terms of educational background:
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Law |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between paralegal specialists' and legal clerks' demographics:
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Clerk | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |