Pros and Cons of Being a Paralegal
By: Katelyn Fahrenbruck Weston | December 2025
Paralegals are an important part of the legal team. They work alongside attorneys to provide legal assistance to clients. They perform a range of tasks, including drafting legal documents (e.g., contracts, pleadings), conducting research, interviewing clients and witnesses, managing case files, and preparing documents for trials and hearings. Despite their valuable legal support, they are not legally authorized to provide legal advice or represent clients in legal matters.
A career as a paralegal can be incredibly rewarding and satisfying, but it’s not without potential challenges. Before you decide whether this is the career path for you, we compiled a list of a few pros and cons to help you in your decision process.
Pros of Being a Paralegal
Working as a paralegal can be a rewarding career path for those interested in the law. Here are a few items to put in the “pro” column:
- Lower investment to get started
- Good salary potential and benefits
- Varied and challenging work
- Opportunities for Career Growth
There are a few training options to consider when exploring a career as a paralegal. For example, some employers will require a paralegal career training certificate, whereas others may prefer candidates to have a two- or four-year degree in paralegal studies. U.S. Career Institute’s online, self-paced paralegal certificate program can be completed in as little as four months, making it a great choice for individuals who want to focus on this career path and get started quickly.
As a paralegal, you can earn a good salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants is $61,010. The top five highest-paying states for paralegals include the District of Columbia (DC), California, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts. Your exact salary will depend on a varity of factors, including location, specialty, experience, and education level. Beyond your annual salary expectation, you also may receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
As a paralegal you will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, including research, document preparation and case management, and client communications. Additionally, you may choose to specialize in a specific area of law, such as family law, intellectual property law, criminal law, or others. With a variety of tasks and responsibilities, the opportunity to dive deep into a specialty, and the different cases or challenges that come from legal matters in general, you will always have something new or interesting to work on as a paralegal.
The opportunity to grow in your career as a paralegal has many pathways. With experience and additional training, paralegals can become senior paralegals, legal analysts, or even law firm managers. Some paralegals even go on to law school and become attorneys.
Potential cons or challenges associated with being a paralegal
As with any career, there is a balance between the pros or benefits and the cons or challenges — and a career as a paralegal is no exception. Before you begin your career journey as a paralegal, consider these potential challenges and whether they are acceptable or deal-breakers for you:
- Long hours and high stress
- Pressure to manage competing priorities
- Limited job autonomy
Paralegals may work long hours, including evenings or weekends, to meet the demands of the law firm and the frequent tight deadlines associated with ongoing cases. Additionally, they may be exposed to graphic images or heartbreaking stories, which can be emotionally taxing.
Paralegals often manage competing priorities to effectively support the legal team across various cases, internal demands, and tight deadlines. They will frequently coordinate with multiple stakeholders, including attorneys, clients, and opposing counsel. This can be challenging for those lacking effective time management, organization, and prioritization skills. Although it can be perceived as a con for some, it may be a factor that is squarely in the pro column for others.
Paralegals work under the supervision of attorneys, which often limits their job autonomy. Their workload is directly tied to the cases and needs of their supervising attorney(s). Although this can lead to interesting opportunities and tasks, it can be perceived as a con for those looking for greater control in their day-to-day activities. That said, the control can be attained through time- and work-management processes. You can control how well you do your job, regardless of what is assigned. It’s all in how you look at it.
Assessing your paralegal career aspirations
A career as a paralegal is a great choice for those interested in contributing to the legal process. You will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, conduct research, prepare documents, and interact with a variety of people. That said, there are some potential challenges that could be deal-breakers for you. When assessing whether becoming a paralegal is the right choice for you, we recommend going “old school” and listing out the pros and cons for yourself. Ultimately, your choice to become a paralegal will depend on your personal and professional goals, interests, and skills. If you are interested in the legal profession but do not want to become an attorney, being a paralegal may be the best fit for you!
In conclusion, being a paralegal has both pros and cons. Paralegals enjoy job stability, good salaries, varied work, and opportunities for career growth. However, they also work long hours, experience high levels of stress, have limited job autonomy and growth potential, and have limited legal knowledge compared to attorneys. Ultimately, whether being a paralegal is right for you depends on your personal and professional goals, interests, and skills. If you are interested in the legal profession but do not want to become an attorney, being a paralegal may be the best fit for you! If a career as a paralegal seems right for you check out our online paralegal school!