Paralegal job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

6

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$62,890

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Paralegals and Legal Assistants (O*NET-SOC 23-2011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases. importance 4.1 of 5
4. Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases. importance 3.9 of 5
6. Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Getting Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• File pleadings with court clerks.
• Direct and coordinate law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas.
• Call upon witnesses to testify at hearings.
• Arbitrate disputes between parties and assist in the real estate closing process, such as by reviewing title searches.
• Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.
• Keep and monitor legal volumes to ensure that the law library is up-to-date.

Knowledge areas: Law and Government, English Language, Administrative, Computers and Electronics and Customer and Personal Service.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Thomson Reuters Westlaw. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a paralegal.

The most common answer among paralegals surveyed by O*NET is a bachelor's degree (37%).

Job title: Paralegal
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Paralegal to assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
- Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in writing, reading comprehension and active listening
- Working knowledge of Law and Government and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $62,890 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $30.24. BLS estimates about 392,880 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Paralegals and Legal Assistants to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 40,800 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full paralegal salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real paralegal posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only paralegal work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (writing and reading comprehension); paralegal interview questions turns them into practice questions.