Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for paralegals and legal assistantss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $69,700 ≈ $34/hr
National median salary $62,890
Total employment 392,880 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +0.2%
Slower than average
Annual openings 39,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 376,200 → 376,800 (+600)
Typical entry education Associate's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$95,400
- Washington$83,740
- California$81,320
- Massachusetts$81,160
- Colorado$80,760
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$49,500
- Wyoming$52,540
- Alabama$52,730
- Idaho$54,640
- Oklahoma$55,510
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $95,400 | $89,750 | $46 | +36.9% | 6,400 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,740 | $79,400 | $40 | +20.1% | 9,460 |
| 3 | California | $81,320 | $77,390 | $39 | +16.7% | 47,130 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $81,160 | $77,640 | $39 | +16.4% | 7,800 |
| 5 | Colorado | $80,760 | $78,190 | $39 | +15.9% | 5,620 |
| 6 | New York | $76,890 | $68,410 | $37 | +10.3% | 34,220 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $73,960 | $75,570 | $36 | +6.1% | 7,400 |
| 8 | Alaska | $73,440 | $68,700 | $35 | +5.4% | 570 |
| 9 | Maryland | $73,060 | $65,640 | $35 | +4.8% | 6,460 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $72,550 | $71,500 | $35 | +4.1% | 12,010 |
| 11 | Illinois | $72,310 | $63,670 | $35 | +3.7% | 14,130 |
| 12 | Georgia | $71,210 | $62,400 | $34 | +2.2% | 14,160 |
| 13 | Virginia | $70,740 | $63,990 | $34 | +1.5% | 10,250 |
| 14 | Delaware | $69,860 | $63,110 | $34 | +0.2% | 2,480 |
| 15 | Oregon | $69,830 | $61,490 | $34 | +0.2% | 4,870 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $69,040 | $63,820 | $33 | -0.9% | 5,210 |
| 17 | Vermont | $69,020 | $67,160 | $33 | -1% | 660 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $68,510 | $63,370 | $33 | -1.7% | 14,670 |
| 19 | Arizona | $67,850 | $61,630 | $33 | -2.7% | 7,890 |
| 20 | Utah | $67,810 | $63,220 | $33 | -2.7% | 3,250 |
| 21 | Michigan | $67,240 | $62,170 | $32 | -3.5% | 7,730 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $66,940 | $62,040 | $32 | -4% | 1,430 |
| 23 | Nevada | $66,350 | $64,680 | $32 | -4.8% | 3,620 |
| 24 | Texas | $65,480 | $62,310 | $31 | -6.1% | 29,540 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $65,400 | $62,840 | $31 | -6.2% | 1,170 |
| 26 | Missouri | $64,380 | $61,410 | $31 | -7.6% | 7,130 |
| 27 | Maine | $64,260 | $62,420 | $31 | -7.8% | 1,210 |
| 28 | Ohio | $64,180 | $60,420 | $31 | -7.9% | 9,270 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $63,590 | $59,000 | $31 | -8.8% | 1,660 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $63,480 | $63,250 | $31 | -8.9% | 1,630 |
| 31 | Florida | $63,250 | $61,000 | $30 | -9.3% | 40,950 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $62,260 | $58,320 | $30 | -10.7% | 600 |
| 33 | Indiana | $61,830 | $57,030 | $30 | -11.3% | 5,910 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $61,530 | $59,840 | $30 | -11.7% | 1,740 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $61,270 | $58,500 | $29 | -12.1% | 4,780 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $60,790 | $58,820 | $29 | -12.8% | 6,080 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $60,770 | $57,500 | $29 | -12.8% | 13,650 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $60,110 | $47,420 | $29 | -13.8% | 1,610 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $59,360 | $60,250 | $29 | -14.8% | 4,890 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $59,240 | $59,830 | $28 | -15% | 3,540 |
| 41 | Montana | $58,930 | $57,290 | $28 | -15.5% | 1,010 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $58,880 | $59,430 | $28 | -15.5% | 730 |
| 43 | Iowa | $58,780 | $54,550 | $28 | -15.7% | 2,980 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $58,630 | $56,250 | $28 | -15.9% | 2,070 |
| 45 | Kansas | $57,680 | $55,000 | $28 | -17.2% | 2,210 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $55,790 | $53,880 | $27 | -20% | 7,420 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $55,510 | $53,170 | $27 | -20.4% | 3,110 |
| 48 | Idaho | $54,640 | $49,690 | $26 | -21.6% | 2,030 |
| 49 | Alabama | $52,730 | $47,260 | $25 | -24.3% | 5,700 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $52,540 | $49,490 | $25 | -24.6% | 600 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $49,500 | $46,180 | $24 | -29% | 2,270 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 509 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $99,250 | $103,080 | 2,030 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,900 | $92,230 | 6,310 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,030 | $92,830 | 7,630 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $81,590 | $87,900 | 12,990 |
| 5 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $80,930 | $79,840 | 360 |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $80,500 | $85,240 | 3,740 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,850 | $84,580 | 6,300 |
| 8 | Vallejo, CA | $79,280 | $77,730 | 160 |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,550 | $81,560 | 2,590 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $78,160 | $77,820 | 290 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing paralegals and legal assistantss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | $130,390 | $145,120 | 30 |
| 2 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $128,830 | $120,320 | 40 |
| 3 | Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) | $128,560 | $115,090 | 340 |
| 4 | Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) | $128,560 | $115,090 | 340 |
| 5 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $107,710 | $110,960 | 610 |
| 6 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $107,480 | $106,430 | — |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $107,480 | $106,430 | — |
| 8 | Natural Gas Distribution | $106,820 | $110,200 | 60 |
| 9 | Investigation and Security Services | $106,730 | $99,850 | 110 |
| 10 | Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services | $106,730 | $101,930 | 100 |
| 11 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $105,900 | $110,140 | 290 |
| 12 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $105,900 | $105,650 | 80 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in the U.S.?
The median paralegals and legal assistants salary in the United States is $62,890 per year (mean $69,700), and about 80% earn between $44,740 and $101,500.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $69,700 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays paralegals and legal assistants the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for paralegals and legal assistants at $95,400 per year (median $89,750).
What is the job outlook for paralegals and legal assistants?
Employment is projected to change +0.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 39,300 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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