Today we focus on what information might be of interest if you are considering pursuing a paralegal career in Massachusetts, which is one of the states featured on the Recruit Legal Jobs board.

The Important Numbers:
· Number of Massachusetts Paralegals: 6,530*
· Median Paralegal Salary: $47,280*
· Length of Paralegal Study: 1 to 4 years
· Almost 75 percent of paralegals work for law firms*
· Largest Law Firms in Massachusetts: Bingham McCutchen (903 attorneys) and Ropes & Gray (843 attorneys)**

Paralegal Schools in Massachusetts:
There are 22 paralegal schools to choose from in Massachusetts from which approximately 300 students graduate with a paralegal qualification each year. You can expect to pay tuition fees of approximately $15,500 per year for a paralegal degree.

Current ABA approved paralegal education programs in Massachusetts are:

Bay Path College, Longmeadow
Elms College, Chicopee
Middlesex Community College (Bedford and Lowell Campuses), Lowell
Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill
North Shore Community College, Danvers
Suffolk University, Boston

Massachusetts Paralegals – Salary Information:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median paralegal salary in Massachusetts is $47,280, and the top 10% earn $75,450. These top-earning paralegals often have the highest-level paralegal degrees, the most experience and the heaviest responsibilities. Worcester has the highest median paralegal salary at $57,510.

The Jobs Market for Paralegals in Massachusetts:

According to the BLS there were 6,530 paralegals in Massachusetts in 2010. As expected the majority work in Boston.

The legal specialties most commonly represented by paralegal jobs in Massachusetts, include corporate law, litigation, real estate law and trusts and estates. The paralegal specialty you choose has lot to do with your interests and previous on-the-job experience.

The vast majority of paralegals in the U.S. work for private law firms and the largest law firms in Massachusetts are Bingham McCutchen with 903 lawyers and Ropes & Gray with 843. They are both located in Boston. However, there are many small and medium-sized firms in cities across the state. Check in with www.recruitlegal.com regularly to see what paralegal opportunities are available in Massachusetts.

*www.bls.gov
**National Law Journal.