Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary in the U.S.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants in the U.S. earn a median of $62,890 a year ($30.24 an hour), based on BLS data for 392,880 workers.
Pay ranges from $44,740 for the lowest-paid 10% to $101,500 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $69,700, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $44,740 | $21.51 |
| 25th percentile | $50,340 | $24.20 |
| Median | $62,890 | $30.24 |
| 75th percentile | $80,080 | $38.50 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $101,500 | $48.80 |
| Average (mean) | $69,700 | $33.51 |
Half of paralegals and legal assistants earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $5,240.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,620.42 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,418.85 |
| Weekly | $1,209.42 |
| Hourly | $30.24 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $62,890 salary, see how much house you can afford at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89,750 | 6,400 |
| Washington | $79,400 | 9,460 |
| Colorado | $78,190 | 5,620 |
| Massachusetts | $77,640 | 7,800 |
| California | $77,390 | 47,130 |
| Minnesota | $75,570 | 7,400 |
| New Jersey | $71,500 | 12,010 |
| Alaska | $68,700 | 570 |
| New York | $68,410 | 34,220 |
| Vermont | $67,160 | 660 |
| Maryland | $65,640 | 6,460 |
| Nevada | $64,680 | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $63,990 | 10,250 |
| Connecticut | $63,820 | 5,210 |
| Illinois | $63,670 | 14,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,370 | 14,670 |
| Nebraska | $63,250 | 1,630 |
| Utah | $63,220 | 3,250 |
| Delaware | $63,110 | 2,480 |
| Hawaii | $62,840 | 1,170 |
| Maine | $62,420 | 1,210 |
| Georgia | $62,400 | 14,160 |
| Texas | $62,310 | 29,540 |
| Michigan | $62,170 | 7,730 |
| New Hampshire | $62,040 | 1,430 |
| Arizona | $61,630 | 7,890 |
| Oregon | $61,490 | 4,870 |
| Missouri | $61,410 | 7,130 |
| Florida | $61,000 | 40,950 |
| Ohio | $60,420 | 9,270 |
| Louisiana | $60,250 | 4,890 |
| New Mexico | $59,840 | 1,740 |
| Kentucky | $59,830 | 3,540 |
| North Dakota | $59,430 | 730 |
| West Virginia | $59,000 | 1,660 |
| Tennessee | $58,820 | 6,080 |
| Wisconsin | $58,500 | 4,780 |
| South Dakota | $58,320 | 600 |
| North Carolina | $57,500 | 13,650 |
| Montana | $57,290 | 1,010 |
| Indiana | $57,030 | 5,910 |
| Rhode Island | $56,250 | 2,070 |
| Kansas | $55,000 | 2,210 |
| Iowa | $54,550 | 2,980 |
| South Carolina | $53,880 | 7,420 |
| Oklahoma | $53,170 | 3,110 |
| Virgin Islands | $52,140 | 90 |
| Idaho | $49,690 | 2,030 |
| Wyoming | $49,490 | 600 |
| Arkansas | $47,420 | 1,610 |
| Alabama | $47,260 | 5,700 |
| Mississippi | $46,180 | 2,270 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,770 | 1,110 |
| Guam | $37,920 | 110 |
Best-paying metro areas for paralegals and legal assistants
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $99,250 | 2,030 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,900 | 6,310 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,030 | 7,630 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $81,590 | 12,990 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $80,930 | 360 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $80,500 | 3,740 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,850 | 6,300 |
| Vallejo, CA | $79,280 | 160 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,550 | 2,590 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $78,160 | 290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,520 | 22,240 |
| Napa, CA | $77,020 | 80 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $76,400 | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $76,300 | 4,440 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,220 | 5,990 |
Metro areas with the most paralegals and legal assistants
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 33,850 | $75,330 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 22,240 | $77,520 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 17,820 | $62,090 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 12,990 | $81,590 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 11,590 | $70,550 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 11,150 | $70,430 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 10,290 | $64,080 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,320 | $63,220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 7,630 | $84,030 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 7,320 | $62,730 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 6,630 | $60,150 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,310 | $92,900 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,300 | $79,850 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 6,280 | $62,620 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 5,990 | $76,220 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | $58,650 | $28.20 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $72,110 | $34.67 |
| Lawyer | $159,670 | $76.76 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | $74.03 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $117,860 | $56.67 |
| Judicial Law Clerk | $64,920 | $31.21 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $75,530 | $36.31 |
More: Legal Occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 23-2011. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a paralegals and legal assistants make in the U.S.?
The median salary for paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S. is $62,890 a year, or $30.24 an hour. Pay ranges from $44,740 for the lowest-paid 10% to $101,500 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid paralegals and legal assistants make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S. earn at least $101,500 a year. The top 25% earn $80,080 or more.
What is the starting pay for paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $44,740 a year, and a quarter of paralegals and legal assistants earn $50,340 or less.
How many paralegals and legal assistants work in the U.S.?
About 392,880 paralegals and legal assistants are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.