According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the paralegal profession is one of the fastest growing fields in the United States. As paralegal jobs have increased, paralegal salaries also have been on a steady rise over the past few years. Compensation depends on factors such as certification, education, experience and geographic region. Additionally, the environment — law firm, corporation or government — is a significant factor in paralegal salaries.

One of the most debated factors in obtaining a higher salary is paralegal certification. Does having a designation such as Certified Paralegal or Registered Paralegal, really increase your chances of a higher salary? This also is dependent on firm size and geography, but research shows that paralegals with designations earn an average of $11,000 more per year than those without designations.

Because there aren’t national minimum educational requirements for paralegals, the education vs. experience debate continues. With more paralegal studies programs offered now than ever before, those new to the profession will likely have a higher starting salary with a bachelor’s degree. Paralegals who have been in the profession longer than 15 years are more likely to not hold a formal degree, but their experience has placed many of them at the top of the paralegal pay scale.

Geographic region also plays a huge part in paralegal compensation. Areas of the United States that generally have a higher cost of living also tend to pay paralegals more. Paralegal salaries tend to be higher in the northeast and western regions of the U.S. than in the Midwest and southern regions. Aside from regions in the United States, urban areas in and around major cities tend to pay more than positions in rural areas.

As far as environments are concerned, corporate paralegals tend to earn the highest average salaries, followed by law firm paralegals and then government paralegals.

Legal Assistant Today Magazine's 16th annual paralegal salary survey results show that pay for paralegal jobs climbed slowly in 2007. The average salary of a paralegal increased 3.7% to $52,979.

In the 16 years Legal Assistant Today magazine has conducted its annual paralegal compensation survey, increases in paralegal salaries have varied dramatically. Take, for example, the survey results from the last two years, when wages escalated an incredible 11.2 percent in 2005 but barely got off the ground in 2006 with only a 1.4 percent increase.
Much like enduing a turbulent flight, this kind of up-and-down inconsistency can be disconcerting when it involves your paycheck. Taking a bird’s-eye view of the 2007 salary landscape, however, LAT found paralegals’ pay ascending at a comfortable pace.

Lifting Off

According to our current survey results, the national average for paralegal salaries in 2007 reached $52,979, a 3.7 percent increase from 2006. “I’d say that’s right on par,” said Gerard Grandzol, senior placement director for Special Counsel in Philadelphia, a national legal staffing service. Grandzol cited the example of a 500-attorney firm in the Northeast that recruited paralegals through his office last year. “They probably [averaged] about a 4 to 5 percent increase last year,” he said.

The salary numbers also sounded accurate to Baxter Quinn Andrews, a 3-year litigation paralegal with Hall, Farley, Oberrecht & Blanton in Boise, Idaho.  “I think that’s about right,” she said. “I have a friend who makes $54,000 and one that got offered a job at $48,000, so that’s pretty normal.”

In 2007, survey respondents received an average raise of $2,791, down from the $3,456 average raise in 2006. The highest individual salary reported was $120,000 and the lowest was $18,000, which is only $8,500 less than the highest reported bonus of $26,500. And while that bonus represents an extreme, 61.8 percent of respondents said they received a bonus, with the average being $3,120. Comparatively, in 2006, the highest individual salary reported was $110,000, and the lowest was $23,000, which was $1,000 less than the highest reported bonus of $24,000. The average bonus for 2006 was $2,962 and 66.1 percent of our survey respondents received a bonus that year. Overall, 68.7 percent of survey respondents in 2007 think they are paid fairly, an increase of more than 5 percent over the 2006 survey results.

Different Regions

As in previous years, salaries varied geographically. Paralegals in….

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The full 14 pages of paralegal salary survey results may be obtained immediately and FREE with a year's subscription to Legal Assistant Today magazine. At $28 for six issues, including the free, instant download of the complete LAT Salary Survey for 2007, it is a tremendous resource that will hardly make a dent in your salary.

After you complete the short magazine subscription form, you will be directed to a fast-loading PDF. You may also request a free printed version of the survey results by calling (800) 394-2626.

The Salary Survey Contains the following 44 color charts and graphs:

National results

• Average raise by firm size

• Average bonus by firm size

• Average salary by firm size

• Average salary by number of paralegals

• Average salary by law firm specialty

• Average salary by in-house specialty

• How was your raise determined?

• How are bonuses determined?

• How many hours per week do you work?

• How long was your latest salary review?

• What were your minimum billable hours?

• Average hourly billing rate

• What are your most common duties?

• How much of your time is non-billable?

• Are you exempt or non-exempt?

• If non-exempt, how are you paid for overtime?

• Are you required to bill?

Regional results

• Raise and bonus amounts

• Average salary by employer

• Average bonus by employer

• Number of paralegal positions

Environment

• Years of experience

• Do you think you are paid fairly?

• What was your bonus and raise?

• What is your job title?

• How many paralegals in your firm or department?

• How many attorneys?

• What kind of staffing support do you receive?

• Does your employer provide formal, in-house paralegal training?

• Does your employer offer a 401(k) or other retirement program?

• Did you work in a different profession first?

• Does your employer pay for CLE for you?

• To which organization do you belong?

• Does your employer offer any of the following benefits?

Employment outlook

• Have you looked for a new paralegal job in the last 12 months?

• If yes, were you successful?

• If yes, how long did the search take?

• In the next 12 months, do you plan to look for a new paralegal job?

• If yes, please tell us why

• How did you obtain your present job?

• Have you been laid off or downsized in the last 12 months?

Education

• What educational level have you completed?

• Average salary by certificate

• What are your employer’s minimum hiring requirements?

Legal Assistant Today magazine has been the independent voice of the paralegal profession since 1983. Each 88-page issue contains news and trends, helpful how-to’s, in-depth profiles, new technology, practice-proven forms, and specialty columns. Subscribe for $28.