Compare careers
Factual side-by-side attributes from the imported O*NET and BLS OEWS datasets. No career is ranked or recommended.
Career A (or your current career)
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Career B (or your target career)
Lawyers
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Comparison table
| Metric | Paralegals and Legal Assistants | Lawyers |
|---|---|---|
| National median salary | $62,890 | $159,670 |
| Local median salary | Not published | Not published |
| National employment | 392,880 | 754,500 |
| Typical education | Bachelor's Degree | Doctoral Degree |
| Job zone | 3 | 5 |
| Important skills | Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking | Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing |
| Related careers | File Clerks, Social Science Research Assistants, Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators, Accountants and Auditors | Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents, Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners |
Career transition: skill overlap
Skill overlap
63%
12 of 19 target skills
Target-only skills
7
Current-only skills
0
Skill overlap compares O*NET skills rated at importance 3.0 or above for each occupation. It is a measure of listed skill overlap, not a probability of getting the job.
Shared skills
- Speaking+0.9 level
- Reading Comprehension+0.9 level
- Active Listening+1.0 level
- Critical Thinking+1.4 level
- Writing+1.0 level
- Complex Problem Solving+1.3 level
- Judgment and Decision Making+1.4 level
- Social Perceptiveness+1.0 level
- Active Learning+1.0 level
- Time Management+1.1 level
- Monitoring+0.8 level
- Service Orientation+0.5 level
Only in Lawyers
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Coordination
- Systems Analysis
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Systems Evaluation
Only in Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- None