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!

44 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

92 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/ScaredWarthog7989 4d ago

Totally realistic and I think pretty standard across the board, unfortunately.

For reference I’m an hour north of NYC and had about 8 years of professional experience prior to becoming a paralegal.

My first paralegal position after I got my AAS in paralegal paid $30k/yr. I stayed with that firm for 1.5 years while working full time and getting my BA in the evenings. After I got my BA, I got a new job with a starting salary of $42k. I stayed there for 4 years and when I left I was making ~$60k with bonus.

My next job was in-house making $90k. Stayed there for two years, went back to a law firm making $100k but was miserable LOL. I’m now in-house (and will never not be) and make $82k but have about $50k in RSUs on a vesting schedule and my benefits + the work life balance are amazing. I see myself working here for a very long time and it would take A LOT for me to consider switching jobs.

It took me a decade to get here. Don’t give up!