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The differences between paralegal specialists and 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 specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a paralegal specialist has an average salary of $61,244, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a paralegal specialist include legal research, litigation and government agencies. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Paralegal Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,244 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $29.44 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,185 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Paralegal specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Paralegal Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $61,244 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $106,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | DLA Piper | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a paralegal specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Paralegal Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between paralegal specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Paralegal Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |