Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$44,740
- 25th Percentile — Junior$50,340
- 50th Percentile — Median$62,890
- 75th Percentile — Senior$80,080
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$101,500
The top 10% of Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn $101,500 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $44,740, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $95,400 | +36.9% |
| Washington | $83,740 | +20.1% |
| California | $81,320 | +16.7% |
| Massachusetts | $81,160 | +16.4% |
| Colorado | $80,760 | +15.9% |
| New York | $76,890 | +10.3% |
| Minnesota | $73,960 | +6.1% |
| Alaska | $73,440 | +5.4% |
| Maryland | $73,060 | +4.8% |
| New Jersey | $72,550 | +4.1% |
| Illinois | $72,310 | +3.7% |
| Georgia | $71,210 | +2.2% |
| Virginia | $70,740 | +1.5% |
| Delaware | $69,860 | +0.2% |
| Oregon | $69,830 | +0.2% |
| Connecticut | $69,040 | -0.9% |
| Vermont | $69,020 | -1.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $68,510 | -1.7% |
| Arizona | $67,850 | -2.7% |
| Utah | $67,810 | -2.7% |
| Michigan | $67,240 | -3.5% |
| New Hampshire | $66,940 | -4.0% |
| Nevada | $66,350 | -4.8% |
| Texas | $65,480 | -6.1% |
| Hawaii | $65,400 | -6.2% |
| Missouri | $64,380 | -7.6% |
| Maine | $64,260 | -7.8% |
| Ohio | $64,180 | -7.9% |
| West Virginia | $63,590 | -8.8% |
| Nebraska | $63,480 | -8.9% |
| Florida | $63,250 | -9.3% |
| South Dakota | $62,260 | -10.7% |
| Indiana | $61,830 | -11.3% |
| New Mexico | $61,530 | -11.7% |
| Wisconsin | $61,270 | -12.1% |
| Tennessee | $60,790 | -12.8% |
| North Carolina | $60,770 | -12.8% |
| Arkansas | $60,110 | -13.8% |
| Louisiana | $59,360 | -14.8% |
| Kentucky | $59,240 | -15.0% |
| Montana | $58,930 | -15.5% |
| North Dakota | $58,880 | -15.5% |
| Iowa | $58,780 | -15.7% |
| Rhode Island | $58,630 | -15.9% |
| Kansas | $57,680 | -17.2% |
| South Carolina | $55,790 | -20.0% |
| Oklahoma | $55,510 | -20.4% |
| Idaho | $54,640 | -21.6% |
| Alabama | $52,730 | -24.3% |
| Wyoming | $52,540 | -24.6% |
| Mississippi | $49,500 | -29.0% |
What Factors Affect Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $95,400, while Mississippi pays $49,500 — a gap of $45,900 per year.
The middle half of Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn between $50,340 and $80,080 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $44,740, while the top 10% earn more than $101,500.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
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- Judicial Law Clerks $72,950/yr United States +4.7% vs this role
- Administrative Law Judges $125,990/yr United States +80.8% vs this role
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $78,760/yr United States +13.0% vs this role
- Title Examiners Abstractors and Searchers $62,350/yr United States 10.5% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +45.5% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +97.0% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
The average salary for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in the United States is $69,700 per year, with a median of $62,890.
What is the starting salary for Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
Entry-level Paralegals and Legal Assistants typically earn between $44,740 and $50,340 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Paralegals and Legal Assistants the most?
District of Columbia pays Paralegals and Legal Assistants the most at $95,400 per year on average, followed by Washington ($83,740) and California ($81,320).
How much do Paralegals and Legal Assistants make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $69,700, Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn approximately $33.51 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Paralegals and Legal Assistants a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 392,880 Paralegals and Legal Assistants jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $69,700 and a median of $62,890 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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