Paralegal vs. Lawyer: Duties, Training And Pay

Paralegal vs. lawyer comes down to a license. Both work on the same cases, but only the lawyer may take a client, set a fee, give advice or argue in court, and the lawyer answers for the paralegal's work. Paralegal vs. attorney is the same comparison under another name, since BLS's profile of the job speaks of "Lawyers, also called attorneys".

Paralegal vs. Attorney: What Only A Lawyer May Do

The ABA's model guidelines for lawyers who work with paralegals name three things a lawyer cannot hand over:

A lawyer may not delegate to a paralegal: (a) Responsibility for establishing an attorney-client relationship. (b) Responsibility for establishing the amount of a fee to be charged for a legal service. (c) Responsibility for a legal opinion rendered to a client.

ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services, Guideline 3

The ABA's paralegal committee adds the courtroom: "Generally, paralegals may not represent clients in court, take depositions, or sign pleadings." It notes one opening: "Some federal and state administrative agencies, however, do permit nonlawyer practice." NALA's code of ethics holds paralegals to the same line from their side. Under its first canon, a paralegal must not "establish attorney-client relationships, set fees, give legal opinions or advice, or represent a client before a court or agency unless so authorized by that court or agency."

A license is the other way past the line, and it makes a different job. Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Utah license legal paraprofessionals to practice on their own in limited areas, which is not paralegal work under a lawyer. Licensed legal paraprofessionals covers each state's license.

What Paralegals And Lawyers Each Do

Set beside the paralegal's duties, the lawyer's are the ones that need the license. BLS lists these among them:

• Advise and represent clients in criminal or civil proceedings and in other legal matters.
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses.
• Present facts and findings relevant to a case on behalf of their clients.
• Prepare and file legal documents, such as lawsuits, contracts, and wills.

O*NET's highest-rated tasks for each occupation make the same split, with importance out of 100:

The supervision runs one way. In BLS's words, "Lawyers may oversee the work of support staff, such as paralegals and legal assistants and legal secretaries." O*NET rates supervising legal assistants at 75 among the lawyer's core tasks, and the paralegal job description sets out the rest of the paralegal's side.

Education And Licensing: Law School And A Bar Exam

BLS's lawyers profile sets out the route: "Lawyers typically need a law degree and a state license, which usually requires passing a bar examination." The schooling is long: "Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school: 4 years of undergraduate study followed by 3 years of law school." The degree at the end of it is the J.D.: "Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school." Then comes admission: "Most states require that applicants graduate from an accredited law school, pass the written bar exam, and be found by an admitting board to have the character to represent and advise others." The license has upkeep, too: "States may require lawyers to participate in continuing legal education to maintain licensure."

O*NET files lawyers under Job Zone Five, extensive preparation needed, and paralegals under Job Zone Three, medium preparation needed. Asked what a new lawyer needs, 77% of O*NET's respondents said a doctoral degree and 23% a professional degree. The paralegal side is shorter: "Paralegals and legal assistants typically need an associate's degree or certificate in paralegal studies to enter the occupation." How to become a paralegal takes each route in turn.

Paralegal vs. Lawyer Salary

Both columns come from the same May 2025 OEWS release, for wage and salary workers:

At the median a lawyer earns $96,780 more, about 2.5 times the paralegal figure. The ranges meet at the edges: the lowest-paid tenth of lawyers earn less than $78,360, and a quarter of paralegals earn more than $80,080. Both columns cover wage and salary workers only. As BLS says on its lawyers profile: "These wage data do not cover self-employed workers or owners and partners of unincorporated businesses." Self-employed workers held 11% of lawyer jobs in 2025, by the OOH's count.

Job Outlook For Paralegals And Lawyers

Both projections come from the same BLS program and decade. Lawyer jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, from 863,700 to 904,300, with about 28,700 openings a year. Paralegal and legal assistant jobs are projected to show little or no change, with about 40,800 openings a year, mostly to replace people who leave.

BLS reads technology differently for the two jobs. For paralegals: "However, demand for these workers is expected to be limited by advances in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI)." For lawyers: "Some routine legal work may be automated. However, this increased efficiency is not expected to reduce overall demand for lawyers."

Common Questions About Paralegal vs. Lawyer Careers

Sources For Paralegal vs. Lawyer

• What only a lawyer may do: ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services, revised August 2021; ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals, Information for Lawyers: How Paralegals Can Improve Your Practice; NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Canon 1.
• Education, licensing, employers and outlook: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Lawyers and BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, page last modified August 27, 2026, 2025 to 2035 projections.
• Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) and Paralegals and Legal Assistants (SOC 23-2011).
• Tasks, job zones and education: O*NET OnLine, Lawyers (23-1011.00) and O*NET OnLine, Paralegals and Legal Assistants (23-2011.00), updated 2026.
• Paralegal education and the bar: ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals, Educational Information for Paralegals, September 8, 2026.
• Every source read on October 5, 2026.