How much money does a paralegal earn?

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that paralegals and legal assistants held about 224,000 jobs in 2004. Private law firms employed the majority. The Department of Labor believes that employment for paralegals will grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014. Here is what they have to say about earnings potential:
Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer and the geographic location of the job. In general, paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In addition to earning a salary, many paralegals receive bonuses. In May 2004, full-time wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $39,130. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,360. But, the same as to other field, if you have the right experience, the right training back ground and the right certifications, you can even earn more.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm

• The median expected salary for a typical Paralegal I in the United States is $41,422.

• According to Paralegal Institute of Washington DC: paralegals in top firms make 50-60,000 per year. Average salary is $33,000. This translates to approximately $16-28/hr assuming a 40 hour work week.

• Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer, and the geographic location of the job. In general, paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In addition to earning a salary, many paralegals receive bonuses. In May 2004, full-time wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $39,130. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,360. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals in May 2004 were as follows:

• Federal Government $59,370
• Local government 38,260
• Legal services 37,870
• State government 34,910

• The average yearly salary ranges are $32,000 to $45,000