Verdict
Lawyer is the safer bet: it scores 36/100 against 90/100 for Paralegal — 54 points less exposed to AI.
Finance & Legal
36 /100
Advises and represents clients on legal matters.
Full risk profile →Finance & Legal
90 /100
Supports lawyers with research, drafting and document review.
Full risk profile →| Metric | Lawyer | Paralegal |
|---|---|---|
| AI Fear Score | 36/100 | 90/100 |
| Risk band | Watch | High risk |
| Automation probability | 4% | 94% |
| LLM task exposure | 75% | 86% |
| Median pay (BLS) | $145,000 | $60,000 |
| US workers | 830,000 | 360,000 |
| Timeline | 5–10 years — drafting/research augmented; advocacy and counsel remain. | 1–4 years — LLMs excel at discovery, summarizing and first drafts. |
The usual pivots that reuse your experience while cutting exposure: Lawyer (with JD), Compliance specialist. See the full plan →
Lawyer is safer. It scores 36/100 vs 90/100 — Lawyer keeps more tasks that need human judgment and context, while more of Paralegal's core tasks are automatable.
Lawyer pays more at the median: $145,000 vs $60,000 (BLS May 2024).
Scores are estimates, not predictions — two research anchors applied to task mixes, with BLS May-2024 wages and employment. Not career advice.