Career comparison
Lawyer vs. Paralegal
Lawyers earn more: a median of $159,670, $96,780 (154%) above paralegals at $62,890.
Lawyers have the stronger outlook: +5% projected growth through 2035, vs. 0%.
Getting in is slower for lawyers: about 3.8 years vs. 8 months for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Lawyer | Paralegal | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $159,670 | $62,890 |
| Top 10% earn over | $351,600 | $101,500 |
| Growth to 2035 | +5% | 0% |
| Openings per year | 28,700 | 40,800 |
| Jobs today | 863,700 | 404,900 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Associate's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 3.8 years | 8 months |
| Training cost* | $123K–$308K | $3K–$15K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Lawyer
Paralegal
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Lawyer
- Entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: LSAT · Bar exam · MPRE ethics exam · Character and fitness review
Paralegal
- Entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: No license in most states; certification (NALA, NFPA) optional
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Lawyer: 66% usually work over 40 hours a weekParalegal: 37% usually work over 40 hours a week
Lawyer: core tasks
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
Paralegal: core tasks
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Writing, Complex Problem Solving.
New for a lawyer moving to paralegal: Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.
New for a paralegal moving to lawyer: Judgment and Decision Making, Persuasion, Negotiation.
Interests (Holland codes): Lawyer: Enterprising, Conventional, Investigative. Paralegal: Conventional, Investigative, Enterprising.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Lawyer
+5%
about as fast as average · 28,700 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Paralegal
0%
little or no change · 40,800 openings a year
Productivity change - share decreases as tasks such as conducting research and preparing documents are increasingly automated via technology including artificial intelligence (AI), reducing the need for these workers.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, a lawyer or a paralegal?
Lawyers earn more: a median of $159,670, $96,780 (154%) above paralegals at $62,890.
Which has the better job outlook?
Lawyers have the stronger outlook: +5% projected growth through 2035, vs. 0%.
How long does it take to become a paralegal?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 8 months, with tuition of roughly $3,000 to $15,000. Required: No license in most states; certification (NALA, NFPA) optional.
How long does it take to become a lawyer?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 3.8 years, with tuition of roughly $122,500 to $307,500. Required: LSAT, Bar exam, MPRE ethics exam, Character and fitness review.