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The differences between paralegal specialists and legal specialists 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 specialist, becoming a legal specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a paralegal specialist has an average salary of $61,244, which is higher than the $55,253 average annual salary of a legal specialist.
The top three skills for a paralegal specialist include legal research, litigation and government agencies. The most important skills for a legal specialist are legal support, legal research, and proofreading.
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,244 | $55,253 |
| Hourly rate | $29.44 | $26.56 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,185 | 6,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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 specialist is responsible for supporting an organization's legal department or law office by performing administrative duties to assist legal operations. Legal specialists are the clients' first point-of-contact, especially on scheduling appointments and responding to legal services inquiries and concerns. They also organize legal documents, prepare and write contracts, and help legal professionals with collecting information for their cases. A legal specialist must have comprehensive knowledge of the legal industry, including law processes and federal regulations.
Paralegal specialists and legal specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Specialist | |
| Average salary | $61,244 | $55,253 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $106,000 | Between $30,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | DLA Piper | Orrick |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a paralegal specialist and a legal specialist in terms of educational background:
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between paralegal specialists' and legal specialists' demographics:
| Paralegal Specialist | Legal Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% |
| 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |