NextChapter

Entry-level paralegal jobs: what the job is, skills and open roles

A paralegal supports lawyers by researching, drafting documents, organizing case files and managing deadlines. Many roles accept a paralegal certificate or a degree. Right now 2,232 entry-level paralegal jobs are open on employers’ own career sites.

What a paralegal does

In the legal and compliance family of jobs. Roles that support lawyers, contracts, risk and regulation.

A typical day

  1. 1. Draft and file documents
  2. 2. Research cases and rules
  3. 3. Organize evidence and files
  4. 4. Manage deadlines
  5. 5. Communicate with clients and courts

Do you need experience?

5 of the 2,232 open entry-level paralegal jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 3 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.

Open entry-level paralegal jobs

Taken from employers’ own career sites and checked to still be open within the last week.

Showing the newest 15 of about 2,232 verified open jobs here. Search all jobs

Search all paralegal jobs

Skills for paralegal jobs

The skills this job uses, most important first. Most can be learned or shown before the first day.

Skills to build or show

  1. 1. Legal research
  2. 2. Writing
  3. 3. Document management
  4. 4. Attention to detail
  5. 5. Confidentiality
  6. 6. Deadline tracking

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The market for paralegal work

Every figure names its source.

Open entry-level paralegal jobs
2,232

Source: NextChapter, checked against employer career sites, last 7 days.

See the detail →
Openings that say no experience is required
5

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

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Openings that say they provide training
3

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

Median pay in listings that state it
$75,000

Source: NextChapter verified openings (632 with pay).

See the detail →
Employment outlook, the closest government category
Projected +0% from 2025 to 2035 (little or no change).

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035.

AI use at work, the closest government category
Among paralegals and legal assistants, AI is already used for some of the tasks.

Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

Across 632 open entry-level paralegal listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $60,000 to $92,500, with a median of $75,000. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.

Outlook and AI-use figures are for the government category “Paralegals and legal assistants”, the closest match to this job.

Where entry-level paralegal jobs are

Between jobs? Unemployment benefits and severance rules in these states, or in every state.

Employers hiring paralegals now

  • SourcePro Search 125
  • ProTem Legal Solutions 67
  • Morgan & Morgan 59
  • AMS Staffing 41
  • Jobot 31
  • CVS Health 30
  • Ascension Global Staffing & Executive Search 26
  • Orion Placement 26
  • Capstone Search Partners 19
  • Pirate Ship 19

More jobs like paralegal

Roles that use the same skills, and where this job commonly leads.

Where it can lead

Similar entry-level jobs

All entry-level legal and compliance jobs · Paralegal jobs at every level

Questions about paralegal jobs

What does a paralegal do?
A paralegal supports lawyers by researching, drafting documents, organizing case files and managing deadlines. Many roles accept a paralegal certificate or a degree. A typical day includes: draft and file documents; research cases and rules; organize evidence and files; manage deadlines; communicate with clients and courts.
Can I get an entry-level paralegal job with no experience?
5 of the 2,232 open entry-level paralegal jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 3 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.
What skills do you need to be a paralegal?
The skills this job uses most are legal research, writing, document management, attention to detail, confidentiality, deadline tracking. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.
How much does an entry-level paralegal make?
Across 632 open entry-level paralegal listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $60,000 to $92,500, with a median of $75,000. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.
Where can a paralegal job lead?
People in this job commonly move to contract administrator, compliance analyst, legal operations coordinator, claims processor. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

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