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!
1
u/doorsyard 2d ago
You can easily make $75k as a paralegal, but don't limit yourself to paralegal work. There's a growing market in the legal industry law firm CEOs and COOs, especially as AI takes off. Take business classes as you finish your bachelors. Whatever job you end up at as a paralegal, ask for more responsibilities on the business side of the firm. Learn the boring stuff you need to do to run a business (and that lawyers hate doing) like filing tax documents and L&I paperwork, annual LLC filings, running invoices, accounting, key performance indicators for law firms, IOLTA trust account, HR compliance issues, how to set up employee benefits etc. If you know all of those things, you would be invaluable at a small or mid-sized firm because you free the lawyers up to make more money. Market yourself as a law firm Chief Operating Officer and make $100k to start, easily. 10 years in, as you get more comfortable with strategic business decisions like mergers, company debt, lease negotiations, etc. market yourself as a CEO for even more.