In our continuing series of articles outlining what information might be of interest if you are considering pursuing a paralegal career, today we take a look at New York.

The Important Numbers:
· Number of New York Paralegals: 23,350*
· Median Paralegal Salary: $55,060*
· Length of Paralegal Study: 1 to 4 years
· Almost 75 percent of paralegals work for law firms*
· Largest Law Firms in New York: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (2,251 attorneys) and White & Case (2,205 attorneys)**

Paralegal Schools in New York:
There are 33 paralegal schools in New York which produce and average of 838 graduates a year with a paralegal qualification. Tuition fees are approximately €8,979 per year for a paralegal degree.

Current ABA approved paralegal education programs in New york are:

Berkeley College of New York City, New York
Bronx Community College, Bronx
Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua
Genesee Community College, Batavia
Hilbert College, Hamburg
LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, Long Island City
Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn
Long Island University - C.W. Post Campus, Brookville
Marist College, Poughkeepsie
Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry
Monroe Community College, Rochester
Nassau Community College, Garden City
New York City College of Technology/CUNY, Brooklyn
New York University, New York
Queens College/CUNY, Flushing
Schenectady County Community College, Schenectady
St. John's University, Jamaica
Suffolk County Community College, Selden
SUNY Rockland Community College, Suffern
Syracuse University, Syracuse
Westchester Community College, Valhalla

New York Paralegals – Salary Information:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the median paralegal salary in New York is $55,060 and the top 10% earn $83,390. These top-earning paralegals often have the highest-level paralegal degrees, the most experience and the heaviest responsibilities. Syracuse has the highest median paralegal salary at $59,100.

The Jobs Market for Paralegals in New York:

The BLS states that there were 23,350 paralegals in New York in 2010. The NYS Department of Labor further reports that the paralegal profession offers some of the best employment prospects statewide. In fact, paralegals in New York can anticipate a 16.3 percent job growth rate through 2016. On average, the state has 760 paralegal job openings each year, replacing an estimated 340 workers who leave the profession while adding 420 new paralegal jobs.

Check in with www.recruitlegal.com regularly to see what paralegal opportunities are available in New York.

*www.bls.gov/ (2010)
**National Law Journal