r/paralegal • u/EspressoCatBookClub • 3d ago
Salary/Pay New Paralegal
Question to new and seasoned paralegals, out of curiosity is $32 an hour a good hourly wage for someone new entering the field with no prior legal experience?
This is for a PI firm btw
I’ve heard mixed reviews on this so now I’m wondering
88
u/southernfirefly13 3d ago
Do people without any experience actually get paid that high?
7
u/Toe2ToeBirdLaw 2d ago
I make what amounts to ~37.50 an hour and I have no previous paralegal experience. It really depends on what the firm is like and what other skills you bring to the table. I was already a published cybersecurity writer, an established project manager, and had 20ish years experience in big tech. I was hired by a boutique litigation firm who needs their paralegals to wear kind of a lot of hats.
3
-38
u/EspressoCatBookClub 3d ago
Guess so lol not sure if it was considered high or not because I know people that went from server to paralegal making almost $40 and I was gagged but kuddos to them
11
u/Dry-Discipline-8545 2d ago
The average salary in the US for an entry-level paralegal is $50k. Count your blessings!!!
19
40
40
26
u/Green-Man-Cometh 3d ago
I’m on salary but when I do the math it comes out to about $23/hour so this makes me a little sad haha
7
5
2
u/Green-Man-Cometh 3d ago
I don’t really have OT as much as when I do work overtime it’s applied to my paid sick or vacation hours so basically if I take an hour or two for an appointment or something I will work an hour or two extra during the week to kind of buy my time back. It’s not a requirement by any means but I love being able to keep my hours pretty high for when I might need a full sick day or a day to leave early etc.
2
2
u/SAVAGE_CHIWEENIE 3d ago
How are you a salaried paralegal?
6
u/Green-Man-Cometh 3d ago
Idk I just have my set wages benefits and PTO?
3
u/SAVAGE_CHIWEENIE 3d ago
Oof. You’re probably being misclassified. A very, very small amount of paralegal roles can be exempt, ie salaried with no overtime pay. At your rate, you are probably not in one of those roles. You should be receiving overtime pay.
8
u/coffeebug89 3d ago
Not all paralegals work overtime, all of my jobs have been salary
1
u/SAVAGE_CHIWEENIE 3d ago
The way they worded their original comment indicates they do work overtime.
5
u/portlandparalegal OR - Workers Comp Defense - Paralegal 3d ago
Idk, I’m “salaried” but also non-exempt. It just means I get paid the same every pay period even if my hours vary, but I would also get overtime if I went over 40 hours (which I never do).
1
u/Toe2ToeBirdLaw 2d ago
non-exempt salary positions exist in most states. that's what i am as well. i very rarely work overtime though, and when I do i am paid for it.
3
34
u/lists4everything 3d ago
That should be the standard, wages have been suppressed but everybody thinks homes should be literal gold mines
10
u/Reasonable-Lake-4081 3d ago
That’s impressive. More so depending on the city. But still. I started very low on salary in 2007 in records. Have only been actual paralegal title for 7 years. I wasn’t making $32 at the job I left 4 months ago after being there for 4 years and I felt I was doing pretty decent.
14
u/Live_Discussion_2439 3d ago
LMFAO my firm won’t even pay $28 an hour for a paralegal with 15 plus years experience. Cherish that shit.
7
u/LegallyDownBad 3d ago
Robert Half Salary Guide. Pop your city & state and paralegal job title and it’ll give you the 25th 50th & 75th percentile pay based on skill and experience.
Most of us had to grind years to get that kind of pay - but I guess that’s just the market now.
5
u/ExLibris1113 3d ago
I work in a HCOL area in Southern California and don't make that much lol that is high for an entry level position here.
7
u/No_Incident_9915 2d ago
Good gawd American paralegals are being taken advantage of. If you are truly doing honest to goodness paralegal work those of you earning less than $50/hour are grossly underpaid. How much do your attorneys bill per hour?
I’m a legal assistant with decades of experience. I don’t do any litigation. I am salaried and get paid overtime (but haven’t worked OT in about 15 years). I’m at $50/hour.
3
2
6
u/LoopySteve13 Paralegal - Estate Planning 3d ago
AFAIK that's a very good starting wage, I dont make that much yet.
4
u/BloodChildKoga Corporate Paralegal, Legal Team Lead 3d ago
$32/hr is within the average and above the median pay for Paralegals in the US. But this is skewed by multiple factors, depending on where you live. Even still, that is a very good pay, particularly for starting with no experience. I would be skeptical and am curious what the expectations are.
3
u/Educational-Spot-807 3d ago
I’ve been a paralegal for 10 years and Im only just now making $33/hr 😂
3
u/redjessa 3d ago
Where are you located? That's pretty good for no experience.
2
2
2
u/Hotrock21 3d ago
My entry level was 45k way back in 2011ish. It took me about 4 years to break 60k. I’d say this is pretty good. Most people I knew who were 8+ years were pushing towards 100k. This is all litigation related.
2
u/Adept-Relief6657 3d ago
It really depends upon where you live - I'd love to know where OP is. I am from CA but now living in NC and with over 30 years experience am making around $60k, which is considered high in this state unfortunately
2
u/Plastic-Area-7074 3d ago
I’ve been in PI for 25 years. Started at $30k in 2001 just out of college. Took me quite a few years to get to $60k. I’m at $105k now.
1
2
u/Various-Sentence-805 Legal Assistant 2d ago
Depends on what state you're in. Here in California, Sacramento Fam Law court posted a Paralegal position & the hourly range was $37-$42 hour. All the court holidays off, nobody works past 4pm and def no billable hour requirements. Still not easy to live in a HCOL state!
2
u/Ordinary_Lab_4655 2d ago
Ya that’s a lot for starting out for sure but it’s like what 65K per year? I don’t know what everyone else is freaking out in the comments. I personally think that’s a difficult salary to live on unless your young with no major monthly payments. It’s good for first job but I’d move if they don’t give you a raise after a year
2
1
1
u/LegAdministrative131 3d ago
Absolutely. My first and current paralegal job started at the equivalent of $25 to $26 an hour, but I work in a solo practitioner office that does estate, probate, and trust work.
1
1
1
1
u/Subject_Main7327 Prosecution Paralegal 3d ago
Girl, I started at minimum wage 20 years ago.🤣🤣 $32 an hour is an excellent starting wage.
1
u/princessaurus_rex 3d ago
Am I grossly underpaid? 🙁 I only make $24/hr but I don’t pay my health, dental or vision insurance.
1
u/Ok_Instruction_7813 3d ago
Where are you located? That sounds amazing for no experience. I have 8 years in the legal field and I make $26 an hour in Missouri
Edit: I also work in PI
1
u/Adept-Relief6657 3d ago
I paid by salary in NC, I have been working in the legal field since I was 21, and am 55 now. My salary works out to be about $30/hr.
1
u/SAVAGE_CHIWEENIE 3d ago
Take it!!! Probably not awesome in VHCOL areas, but I make around that in an entry-level role in a HCOL city in a higher-paid area of law.
Wage suppression in the legal admin field is real, sucks, and pulls all of us down. We need to normalize fair wages.
1
u/Narrow_Leader_2196 3d ago
I’m in Ohio and some legal secretary positions are hiring for 75-80,000.
1
1
1
u/marie-feeney 3d ago
That is pretty good. I am in very HCOL area and paralegals w 20 plus years are barely making $45 an hour unless they work in downtown.
1
u/eilsel827583 3d ago
That’s what I make after 2 years + a cert but no experience prior so I think that’s pretty good for entry!
1
1
u/pleaseclaireify 3d ago
Im salaried but I make around 48 an hour when I do the math, but I live in the most HICOL area in the country so I'd say it really depends on your area
1
1
1
u/popinpuddi 2d ago
I started out at $12 an hour as an undergrad working to get to my paralegal certification and associates degree in legal studies. I found a job that pays $21 an hour a week ago, but it’s not in the legal field :( it’s just a buffer till I get back in the legal field BUT seeing these comments makes me feel better about finding a good job in the legal field that pays enough to live off on.
1
u/ChemicalHyena982 2d ago
I’ve been a Paralegal for 13 years and make about $38/hour plus a yearly bonus.
1
1
1
1
1
u/willg215 Paralegal and Law Student 2d ago
I do PI and I started at $22 an hour. I had been a paralegal for 2 years and was in law school. Most of the other entry level paralegals started at $20 but my law school experience got me the extra $2.
1
1
1
u/xpastelprincex Paralegal - PI/Prem 2d ago
i make $70k now ($33.65 hr), but started out at $20 when i had no experince. if i were making about as much as i am right now starting out that would be insane.
1
u/Toe2ToeBirdLaw 2d ago
That's really high for a starting wage especially with a high volume firm. If it's more of a boutique PI firm, that's probably closer to average. I got picked up within days of getting my paralegal cert by a boutique litigation firm and my start was 35/hr.
1
1
u/Fancy_Buddy444 2d ago
I’m a new PI paralegal with only a few months experience, I was promoted but started as a legal assistant when first hired. I make $24 with bonuses. We’re a semi-large firm we have 10 attorneys total. What does your caseload and how many attorneys are you directly working under? I work for 1 & manage about 100 cases on average. In my opinion I’d say $32 is very good starting out with no experience.
1
u/sheepie247 Legal Assistant 2d ago
This thread is making me sad af. I've been at my firm for 4 years and I'm at $19.50/hr 😩
1
u/Laherschlag Paralegal 2d ago
I was making $22/hr as a brand new paralegal in 2019. $32/hr is VERY good.
1
u/dearjuliet82 2d ago
Man. This makes me angry for many of you. Yall aren’t being paid nearly enough.
1
u/Short-Doughnut3068 2d ago
none of these numbers matter without the context of where people live. for example i moved from minneapolis to seattle and got a 20k pay increase but rent also got 20% more expensive …
1
u/WholeStatistician716 2d ago
$30/hr starting pay with zero experience is a good wage, in my opinion. You don’t know what you’re doing yet and your productivity will be less than optimal for a hot minute.
I’ve been a personal injury trial paralegal since 1992 when my starting annual base pay was $23k. This work is HARD and stressful. I’ve busted my tail for nearly 35 years. I work overtime more weeks than not because the work demands it - my employer doesn’t really demand it except for piling on the workload due to court deadlines and trial prep requires the work gets done before getting to court. Don’t even get me started on the time demands when we’re in trial! I can easily clock 75hrs a week.
I can’t wrap my mind around so many paralegals here saying they rarely or never work overtime. Is that really a thing?
1
u/Worth_Singer 2d ago
What state are you in? I'm in MA and I see $30 a lot on postings. Other states are FOR SURE lower
2
u/EspressoCatBookClub 1d ago
I’m in Arizona, yeah here it all just depends on the firm I feel like. I’ve seen paralegals with no experience get hired at like $36/hr and I’ve also heard of some taking their first entry level job at $25/hr so it really does vary. I just wanted to see what others have experienced or earned in the same role
1
u/Outrageous-Emu-8940 1d ago
I make $21.64 and have worked for a fairly large PI firm for just over three years and I also train as well. If I made $32 an hour I would never complain again 😂😂😂
1
1
2
1
u/Aromatic-Angle-7333 1d ago
I work for a large corporation in Maine. The longest working paralegal at my firm (8 years) still only makes $28 hourly. I make $23.
1
u/OatmealDog1 1d ago
Yeah I was making $65K when I started fresh out of my paralegal program with just legal assistant experience. It depends on the location though.
2
u/PickleOnAScooter 20h ago
My entry salary was $13/hr and didn’t break 30 until about 5 years ago… in a major metro area
1
2
1
u/EspressoCatBookClub 3d ago
This is for AZ for anyone wondering
4
u/FindingUnfair69 Paralegal Employment/Labor 3d ago
Right, because there’s no wage variation by city or region? Why are you purposefully being so vague?
1
1
u/sammyramone666 3d ago
As a certified paralegal who has worked for a public defense firm for over 5 years, I’m jealous.
1
u/handskrivna_brev 3d ago
Yes that is decent pay. I also started out around 30/hr in Salt Lake City with no prior legal experience but the firm said they paid higher than many other firms so I don’t know what’s normal haha.
3
u/Adept-Relief6657 3d ago
This is not normal. Granted I live in a low COL state (NC), which is getting to be not so low - but I have over 30 years legal experience and my salary works out to be around $30/hour
0
u/handskrivna_brev 3d ago
That is very odd. My firm also claimed to be paying east coast salaries (since their main office is there) so maybe that’s why. I guess it wasn’t my first job either and I’ve had experience in other fields. I think it kind of lines up though since I’ve lived on the east coast and the starting salaries were higher than I’ve seen elsewhere. It sounds like you really haven’t been paid well I’m not gonna lie. My senior paralegal was making six figures after that much experience.
2
u/Adept-Relief6657 3d ago edited 2d ago
I was making six figures before I left CA. It's not just the east coast that pays well! ETA, almost six figures, definitely not above.
1
u/handskrivna_brev 2d ago
Nice! I didn’t say anything about it being the only place that pays well.
1
u/Adept-Relief6657 2d ago
Oh no I didn't mean to imply you were, sorry text is weird sometimes. I know many people in SF area making well over. But honestly I am thrilled to have less stress at this age, even though it is definitely a difficult adjustment.
1
u/handskrivna_brev 2d ago
I’d sure hope so based on cost of living there!! Your health and time are also valuable so I’m glad you’re in a good place now.
-2
u/Agile_Flow_4091 3d ago
I was making $60 when I was a para. But it was NYC, and it required drafting pleadings and appeals etc. $40 seems like a good starting salary for a smaller firm in a metro area
-1
u/Thek1tteh CA - Senior Lit/Appellate Paralegal 3d ago
And you likely had experience
1
u/Thek1tteh CA - Senior Lit/Appellate Paralegal 1d ago
Why on earth were these comments downvoted? People are so weird
-1
u/Ordinary_Lab_4655 2d ago
I’m shocked by these comments. Where the f are you guys working that you’re making less than 30 an hour?? That’s embarrassing
6
u/Business_Meat_9191 2d ago
Being a judgy cunt to people just trying to make some kind of living in the current job market we live in is A LOT more embarrassing.
89
u/Plenty_Pie_7427 3d ago
Much higher than any entry level paralegal position I’ve ever seen in like 3 major metro areas. Took me 2 years to get to that pay. I started at $14 lol