Legal · Career brief

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Paralegals and Legal Assistants at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$62,890

Middle-of-the-pack pay

2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

-0.3%

Projected employment decline

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

40,800

Lots of annual openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

Associate degree

Usually a two-year-level credential or equivalent route

Associate's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Structured / detail

Accuracy, process, and organized information matter

Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 0.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

ChooseField take

The standout national signal is opening volume; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if structured, detail-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with an associate-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS projects employment to shrink 0.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

Before choosing, compare:Judicial Law Clerks Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Lawyers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Paralegals and Legal Assistants with another field Explore rankings in Legal Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$62,890

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

-0.3%employment growth40,800openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Associate's degree

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

404,900

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Paralegals and legal assistants (23-2011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.
Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 0.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Documenting/Recording Information4.4
Working with Computers4.4
Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.3
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
Getting Information4.3

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Conventional5.3
Investigative5.0
Enterprising3.9
Social3.1
Artistic2.2
Realistic1.7

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Law and Government Computers and Electronics Mathematics

Software and tools named in job postings

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Orion Law Management Systems Orion

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Analyze a public case scenario, identify the governing rules and missing facts, and defend a decision whose consequences matter.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Paralegals and legal assistants nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Writing, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Thomson Reuters Westlaw, Orion Law Management Systems Orion; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options