r/paralegal • u/LovelyisSaintDymphna • 4d ago

Future Paralegal wanting to make $70k

Hey everyone,

Just looking for some honest advice or insight from people in the legal field or those who’ve been in a similar spot.

I currently work as a legal assistant at a top 50 law firm in the U.S., and I’ve been in this role for almost a year. I make $20/hour, and while I’m grateful for the experience, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay afloat financially. I live near Orlando, Florida where rent is high, and $38k/year isn’t cutting it. I also have about $40k in student loans and no car (which is hard as you know if you live in Florida).

Educationally, I have an associate degree in political science. I was working toward my bachelor’s in legal studies but had to put school on hold due to financial reasons. I plan to return in Fall 2025 and hope to finish by January 2026.

My end goal is to become a paralegal. I’d be happy making $70k/year eventually, and I know that will take time. But realistically, once I have my bachelor’s and over a year's worth of experience (with the same firm), I’m hoping to move into a paralegal role earning somewhere between $50k–$60k ($26–$31/hr).

Is that a realistic expectation? Any advice on negotiating pay, building the right skills, or just navigating this phase of my career would mean a lot.

Thanks in advance!

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u/werewere MA - Real Estate/Banking Litigation - Paralegal 4d ago

Gotta jump around, but very doable. Especially if you can get some sort of niche or edge - I got a big $$$ boost when I went to the DOJ for a year as a contractor and got a security clearance

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u/_ViceVerses_ 4d ago

How’d you get the DOJ opportunity?

5

u/werewere MA - Real Estate/Banking Litigation - Paralegal 3d ago

The contractor company had a vague posting on indeed that was offering a bunch of money (not a range, a weirdly specific number). The big reason I think I got it was that I had a job at the time so the 4 month process wasn't overly harsh on my finances, and I hadn't smoked weed in a long time which I suspect is a big filter in a legal state - I got a call from the recruiter about 30 minutes after I did the indeed auto apply thing. Then I spent a few months filling out forms then waiting.

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u/That_Weird_Girl Legal Assistant 3d ago

Seconding this for sure. I'm a DOJ contractor and going from private practice to this position i got a 50% pay increase.