To prepare for a career as a paralegal, an individual may choose to attend a four-year bachelor's degree program, a two-year associate's degree program or a paralegal certificate program. It may surprise you to learn that graduates of paralegal certificate programs are compensated at a significantly higher rate than graduates of other forms of paralegal education. Why? Because certificate programs have the advantage of focusing the entire education experience on paralegal skills. Certificate programs offer the highest quality of paralegal education at an affordable cost.

According to the 2010 Salary Survey conducted by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), paralegals who have graduated from post baccalaureate certificate programs, such as the Pace Paralegal Program, are among the highest-paid individuals in the field.

Education	Average Salary	Average Compensation	Responses
Undergraduate Certificate	$53781	$57224	175
Post Baccalaureate Certificate	$54100	$56422	181
Associate's Degree	$50716	$53247	459
Bachelor's Degree	$49599	$52221	109

Note: An Undergraduate Certificate indicates those who have a certificate and no Bachelor's Degree in any field. A Post Baccalaureate Certificate indicates those who possess a Bachelor's Degree in any field of study, followed by a paralegal certificate.

Source: www.nala.org/survey.aspx