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Real estate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal

The differences between real estate paralegals and contractor-paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a real estate paralegal and a contractor-paralegal. Additionally, a real estate paralegal has an average salary of $68,387, which is higher than the $60,686 average annual salary of a contractor-paralegal.

The top three skills for a real estate paralegal include law firm, litigation and due diligence. The most important skills for a contractor-paralegal are litigation, legal research, and discovery responses.

Real estate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal overview

Real Estate ParalegalContractor-Paralegal
Yearly salary$68,387$60,686
Hourly rate$32.88$29.18
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs24,36915,609
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

What does a real estate paralegal do?

A Real Estate Paralegal helps real estate lawyers with a variety of tasks, such as offering advice to clients, doing research, and preparing documents. They collaborate with landlords, housing managers, or other real estate personnel.

What does a contractor-paralegal do?

A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.

Real estate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal salary

Real estate paralegals and contractor-paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.

Real Estate ParalegalContractor-Paralegal
Average salary$68,387$60,686
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $94,000Between $37,000 And $99,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CACamarillo, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyKane Russell Coleman LoganSeaSpine
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between real estate paralegal and contractor-paralegal education

There are a few differences between a real estate paralegal and a contractor-paralegal in terms of educational background:

Real Estate ParalegalContractor-Paralegal
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesLegal Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaHarvard University

Real estate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal demographics

Here are the differences between real estate paralegals' and contractor-paralegals' demographics:

Real Estate ParalegalContractor-Paralegal
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 13.8% Female, 86.2%Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between real estate paralegal and contractor-paralegal duties and responsibilities

Real estate paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage BPO and MMR reports on properties.
  • Manage a social marketing image for the agency (Facebook).
  • Manage national referrals for quiet title actions, injunctions, wrongful foreclosures, and appeals.
  • Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
  • Communicate directly with lenders in various states, completing affidavits and ensuring that they are properly record and organize.
  • Prepare forms for the MLS submission.
  • Show more

Contractor-paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
  • Assist staff counsels in all aspects of litigation management including factual investigation, document preparation, trial preparation and support.
  • Research using Lexis Nexis and online resources.
  • Summarize medical records, check blue-book cites, retrieve statutory and case law on LEXIS ,
  • Complete contract work for local attorneys in the areas of civil, family law, personal injury, and probate matters.
  • Prepare, compile and distribute various PowerPoint presentations.
  • Show more

Real estate paralegal vs contractor-paralegal skills

Common real estate paralegal skills
  • Law Firm, 14%
  • Litigation, 9%
  • Due Diligence, 9%
  • Probate, 4%
  • Estoppel, 4%
  • Affidavits, 4%
Common contractor-paralegal skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Research, 9%
  • Discovery Responses, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 7%
  • In-House Counsel, 5%
  • Contract Database, 5%