First of all, check in the area you want to work in to see what the job market is. I live in southern NH and right now our area is saturated with lawyers who are taking paralegal positions to work in the legal field. I know of quite a few people with paralegal degrees and experience that can't find work.
I've worked for the same attorney for 10 years. We get so many applications when we advertise a job he doesn't even look at the ones without a 4 year degree. In our area, starting salarys are around $28,000 - $32,000/yr. That can dramatically increase over time with experience and specialization. Also, if you work in a large city such as Boston, NYC, LA, etc. a good paralegal can make significantly more.
I've been doing it for over 20 years and have to say that I do love my job. Just keep in mind, just like any job, there are pluses and minuses.
One thing to note are the hours. If you're the type of person that wants a strictly 9-5 job, this isn't it. While it doesn't happen all the time, I've been at the office early in the morning (as early as 6:00 am), nights (as late as 1:00 a.m.) and weekends (sometimes for most of the weekend). Depending on what type of law the attorney you work for practices you could be asked to work some odd hours and would need to be flexible. If we have a big trial starting its nothing to work 60+ hours a week the week prior to it starting.
