Top Paralegal Jobs in 2022

Job seekers in this field probably already know that paralegal jobs vary in availability, requirements, and future responsibilities.

However, regardless of the specific role these professionals perform in their respective law firms, they are a standard part of any legal team. Paralegals' careers often start out at the same level as those of legal assistants, but their trajectories are not the same, due to the difference in expertise.

Essentially, people with this job title have a bachelor’s degree - preferably in paralegal studies - know how to conduct moderate legal research, take care of legal case preparation and client contracts for their supervising attorneys, etc.

Paralegal Job Description

A law firm is not the only place with job postings for a paralegal position: After completing their college degree, they can find their first job in nonprofits, government agencies, or corporations. For those working to attain a master’s degree, for example, some companies have part-time paralegal jobs.

However, although they might have the same job title, we should note that paralegals working outside a law office have a slightly different job description than the career typically requires.

Working in a real estate law firm, national law firm, or even as part of an in-house corporate legal team is the typical setup in this career. You would also be working under the direct supervision of a lawyer.

The daily activities in this position somewhat overlap with those of a legal assistant, although these two jobs are different in scope. Your responsibilities will include everything from preparing retainers and interviewing clients, to filing motions and drafting documents.

As in most law-related jobs, a paralegal is expected to wear several different hats in their daily work, usually within a team environment. Their skill set will need to be constantly expanding through completing online programs and courses, and exposure to the inner workings of legal action.

Getting a Job as a Paralegal – Certificates

The essential requirement for this position is a detailed understanding of the law and legal system, represented by the paralegal certification gained by either completing an associate or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, or the paralegal exam after an unrelated degree.

This is another key difference between a paralegal and a legal assistant: The latter can find work with just a high school diploma, or even a high school equivalency certificate. On the other hand, the former will be most attractive to employers if they have a legal studies diploma, without passing the bar.

The next step in becoming a paralegal is to make yourself stand out from the rest. The best way to do this is to add work experience to your resume. It might be preferable to start by working in a small office instead of a big legal firm, as that will allow you to hone your craft in a low-pressure environment. There is also value for your resume in volunteering for charities or similar organizations.

Your choice of paralegal training jobs will primarily depend on your field of interest. For instance, you could consider volunteering in the community if you're looking to specialize in family law, find a spot at a patent office to learn about intellectual property and trademark law, or search jobs with mandatory court time if you want to specialize in assisting in criminal defense cases.

Paralegal Careers by Field of Interest

Litigation

Working in litigation will face you with civil, commercial, public interest, personal injury cases, and many others.

Example daily activities here involve creating drafts of stipulations and motions for dismissal, as well as settlement agreements. You would also probably participate in organizing evidence, such as medical records and labor statistics, as well as reviewing accounts of the matter at hand from clients and relevant witnesses.

The base litigation paralegal salary comes to $58,631 on average. The least-paid litigation paralegals earn around $43,000, while the highest-paid earn approximately $143,000. The paralegal starting salary in this field ranges between $43,000 and $54,000.

Family Law

Among the various paralegal job openings available today, you might notice that many are focusing on family law. Similar to litigation, family law paralegals spend their days assisting attorneys in enforcing legal rights and obligations pertaining to families.

In this field, one of the most critical activities involves obtaining information for pleadings by interviewing clients. These paralegals also prepare waivers of service, responses, summons, petitions, and proposed settlements, as well as draft affidavits to support motions of temporary relief and compile financial information.

The base pay for a paralegal dealing with family law is $53,292 per year.

The low end of the spectrum gets around $41,000 per year as its average salary, whereas the high end makes approximately $187,000. The former mostly applies to paralegal assistant jobs, while the latter corresponds to more experienced professionals.

Estate Planning

Your primary responsibilities here include recording trade name affidavits and deeds and witnessing or supervising the execution of trusts and wills. If working with numbers happens to be one of your strong suits, you could also be in charge of preparing tax calculations required for estate plans.

In estate planning, paralegals are typically looking at a yearly base of $62,529. However, the numbers go as low as $44,000 for most estate-planning paralegal internships and as high as $259,000 for more experienced professionals. 

The majority of paralegals in estate planning should expect a salary range between $57,000 and $139,000.

Environmental Law

If you have a paralegal degree, jobs can be an opportunity to fight for a cause you believe in. For example, environmental regulations enforcement cases are becoming more and more frequent nowadays, especially since climate change awareness is higher than ever before.

As far as specific activities go, environmental law paralegals perform many tasks daily. For instance, you'll need to analyze relevant research papers and draft various petitions for formal administrative hearings. At the same time, you might be responsible for responding to public inquiries for agency documents and preparing legislation for review by an environmental lawyer.

Records show that the average yearly salary for this position amounts to $54,049. However, annual salaries range from as low as $39,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

That puts environmental law in the high-paying paralegal jobs category, but your salary will realistically range from $53,000 to $187,000.

Criminal Defense

Criminal defense law is highly intriguing and engaging, and you’ll be participating in trial-related activities every day.

There are numerous examples of tasks you can expect to perform in this position. They include verifying information, locating and interviewing witnesses, as well as organizing evidence and exhibits.

You may also assist in selecting a jury, as well as coordinate witness appearances during trials. Most importantly and interestingly, you'll be able to assist in developing a trial strategy, the theory of the case, and defense.

Although being a criminal defense paralegal may not be among the highest-paying paralegal jobs, it can still be worthwhile. On average, you're looking at a yearly salary of $58,315.

Records show that wages for this position range from $42,000 to as high as $348,000. Realistically, depending on location and years of experience, you should expect a salary of between $55,000 and $159,000.

Bankruptcy

As the name suggests, this involves working with attorneys who represent various debtors. The daily tasks of paralegals specializing in bankruptcy law include fact-gathering to prepare statements, schedules, and petitions.

You can expect to conduct asset searches and obtain debtor credit reports to ensure compliance. Most of the time, however, you'll participate in interviewing clients alongside attorneys.

The salary of a paralegal working with bankruptcies tends to be in the mid-lower range, with an average of $52,592. When just starting, you can earn as little as $38,000 per year.

Most of those interested in pursuing this position should expect a realistic range of $49,000 to $135,000 annually, depending on their years of experience, skills, and location.

Banking & Finance Paralegal

The banking and finance sector is somewhat unusual when it comes to a paralegal’s job description and daily duties. A firm in this sector can fulfill four types of counsel roles: special tax counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters' counsel, and bond counsel. Therefore, your specific tasks will depend on the kind of firm you’re working for.

Generally speaking, however, you may expect to participate in due diligence reviews and draft various documentation (opinions, agreements, resolutions, deeds, leases, etc.). You may also need to review primary financing documents or assist attorneys in researching bond issue documents.

The base paralegal job salary in banking and finance is $58,304 per year. The lower limit of the range drops as low as $44,000 for those with no experience or an unfavorable location.

However, if you have excellent skills, years of experience, and proximity to a major city, you could be looking to earn as much as $173,000 each year.