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The differences between secretaries and paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a secretary, becoming a paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a paralegal has an average salary of $49,943, which is higher than the $36,442 average annual salary of a secretary.
The top three skills for a secretary include customer service, telephone calls and payroll. The most important skills for a paralegal are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Secretary | Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $36,442 | $49,943 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $24.01 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 69,315 | 5,177 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Secretaries are employees who are responsible for many of the administrative needs of the office. They are usually assigned to executives or to a specific department. They manage schedules and appointments, often handling the calendar in the office. They are also responsible for keeping files organized, whether physical or digital copies. During office meetings, secretaries are in charge of documenting the minutes of the meeting and highlighting the action steps that need to be taken. They may also be assigned to check on concerned departments who need to present deliverables in the next office meeting.
Paralegals are law firm or legal department employees who work on cases with lawyers. They handle different activities, usually administrative or clerical, such as organizing and maintaining files, updating records, and managing correspondences, among others. Paralegals also handle different activities directly related to active cases being worked on by lawyers in the firm or department. They assist lawyers on cases by preparing materials needed for trials, conducting legal research, verifying trial facts, helping during interviews, getting statements from those involved in the case, and creating presentation materials. Paralegals should have knowledge of laws and should be familiar with landmark cases.
Secretaries and paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Secretary | Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $36,442 | $49,943 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Arnall Golden Gregory |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a secretary and a paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Secretary | Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between secretaries' and paralegals' demographics:
| Secretary | Paralegal | |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |