Paralegals & Legal Assistants vs Law Clerks
Median pay is about $2k higher for Law Clerks. The usual entry education is associate's for Paralegals & Legal Assistants and doctoral (JD) for Law Clerks.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Paralegals & Legal Assistants | Law Clerks |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $62,890 | $64,920, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $50,340 | $52,870, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $80,080 | $80,420, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | -0.3% Declining | +2.8% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 40,800 | 1,500 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Associate's | Doctoral (JD) |
| Difficulty modeled | 2 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 78th pct | 81st pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: writing, reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, critical thinking, active learning.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.