SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action. Excludes “Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants” (43-6012).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 23-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $44,740 | $3,728 | $860 | $21.51 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $50,340 | $4,195 | $968 | $24.20 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $62,890 | $5,241 | $1,209 | $30.24 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $80,080 | $6,673 | $1,540 | $38.50 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $101,500 | $8,458 | $1,952 | $48.80 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $62,890, which is 23% higher. Among the 8 occupations of the field Legal, it ranks number 7 by median pay. With 392,880 jobs, it makes up about 25 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($69,700) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($89,750), Washington ($79,400) and Colorado ($78,190). The lowest was in Guam ($37,920), Puerto Rico ($38,770) and Mississippi ($46,180). The most jobs were in California (47,130), Florida (40,950) and New York (34,220). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 3.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 6,400 | $89,750 | $95,400 | $43.15 |
| Washington | 9,460 | $79,400 | $83,740 | $38.17 |
| Colorado | 5,620 | $78,190 | $80,760 | $37.59 |
| Massachusetts | 7,800 | $77,640 | $81,160 | $37.33 |
| California | 47,130 | $77,390 | $81,320 | $37.21 |
| Minnesota | 7,400 | $75,570 | $73,960 | $36.33 |
| New Jersey | 12,010 | $71,500 | $72,550 | $34.38 |
| Alaska | 570 | $68,700 | $73,440 | $33.03 |
| New York | 34,220 | $68,410 | $76,890 | $32.89 |
| Vermont | 660 | $67,160 | $69,020 | $32.29 |
| Maryland | 6,460 | $65,640 | $73,060 | $31.56 |
| Nevada | 3,620 | $64,680 | $66,350 | $31.10 |
| Virginia | 10,250 | $63,990 | $70,740 | $30.77 |
| Connecticut | 5,210 | $63,820 | $69,040 | $30.68 |
| Illinois | 14,130 | $63,670 | $72,310 | $30.61 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,670 | $63,370 | $68,510 | $30.47 |
| Nebraska | 1,630 | $63,250 | $63,480 | $30.41 |
| Utah | 3,250 | $63,220 | $67,810 | $30.40 |
| Delaware | 2,480 | $63,110 | $69,860 | $30.34 |
| Hawaii | 1,170 | $62,840 | $65,400 | $30.21 |
| Maine | 1,210 | $62,420 | $64,260 | $30.01 |
| Georgia | 14,160 | $62,400 | $71,210 | $30.00 |
| Texas | 29,540 | $62,310 | $65,480 | $29.96 |
| Michigan | 7,730 | $62,170 | $67,240 | $29.89 |
| New Hampshire | 1,430 | $62,040 | $66,940 | $29.83 |
| Arizona | 7,890 | $61,630 | $67,850 | $29.63 |
| Oregon | 4,870 | $61,490 | $69,830 | $29.56 |
| Missouri | 7,130 | $61,410 | $64,380 | $29.52 |
| Florida | 40,950 | $61,000 | $63,250 | $29.33 |
| Ohio | 9,270 | $60,420 | $64,180 | $29.05 |
| Louisiana | 4,890 | $60,250 | $59,360 | $28.97 |
| New Mexico | 1,740 | $59,840 | $61,530 | $28.77 |
| Kentucky | 3,540 | $59,830 | $59,240 | $28.76 |
| North Dakota | 730 | $59,430 | $58,880 | $28.57 |
| West Virginia | 1,660 | $59,000 | $63,590 | $28.37 |
| Tennessee | 6,080 | $58,820 | $60,790 | $28.28 |
| Wisconsin | 4,780 | $58,500 | $61,270 | $28.12 |
| South Dakota | 600 | $58,320 | $62,260 | $28.04 |
| North Carolina | 13,650 | $57,500 | $60,770 | $27.64 |
| Montana | 1,010 | $57,290 | $58,930 | $27.54 |
| Indiana | 5,910 | $57,030 | $61,830 | $27.42 |
| Rhode Island | 2,070 | $56,250 | $58,630 | $27.04 |
| Kansas | 2,210 | $55,000 | $57,680 | $26.44 |
| Iowa | 2,980 | $54,550 | $58,780 | $26.23 |
| South Carolina | 7,420 | $53,880 | $55,790 | $25.90 |
| Oklahoma | 3,110 | $53,170 | $55,510 | $25.56 |
| Virgin Islands | 90 | $52,140 | $56,920 | $25.07 |
| Idaho | 2,030 | $49,690 | $54,640 | $23.89 |
| Wyoming | 600 | $49,490 | $52,540 | $23.80 |
| Arkansas | 1,610 | $47,420 | $60,110 | $22.80 |
| Alabama | 5,700 | $47,260 | $52,730 | $22.72 |
| Mississippi | 2,270 | $46,180 | $49,500 | $22.20 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,110 | $38,770 | $45,790 | $18.64 |
| Guam | 110 | $37,920 | $44,500 | $18.23 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530 a year
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$72,110 a year
- Judicial Law Clerks$64,920 a year
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,650 a year
Common questions
How much do Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $62,890 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $101,500.
How many people work as Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
About 392,880 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.