SOC 23-2011 · Legal Occupations
Paralegals and Legal Assistants wages by metro
National median annual wage
$62,890
- 10th percentile
- $44,740
- 25th percentile
- $50,340
- Median
- $62,890
- 75th percentile
- $80,080
- 90th percentile
- $101,500
- Mean
- $69,700
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 392,880.
That median is 23.4% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 2,030 | $60,030 | $99,250 | $157,450 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,310 | $59,320 | $92,900 | $119,820 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 7,630 | $58,590 | $84,030 | $131,820 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 12,990 | $57,160 | $81,590 | $126,020 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 360 | $57,930 | $80,930 | $97,500 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 3,740 | $60,590 | $80,500 | $111,560 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,300 | $50,340 | $79,850 | $126,470 |
| Vallejo, CA | 160 | $49,050 | $79,280 | $99,600 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 2,590 | $51,980 | $78,550 | $113,290 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 290 | $49,400 | $78,160 | $100,890 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 22,240 | $51,200 | $77,520 | $112,160 |
| Napa, CA | 80 | $51,330 | $77,020 | $104,570 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 200 | $36,180 | $76,400 | $106,800 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 4,440 | $48,210 | $76,300 | $107,380 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 5,990 | $49,230 | $76,220 | $105,220 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 3,510 | $48,970 | $75,430 | $100,350 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 33,850 | $49,180 | $75,330 | $121,170 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 70 | $50,820 | $75,230 | $98,960 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 280 | $46,690 | $75,200 | $95,550 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 520 | $47,050 | $74,780 | $102,880 |
Where employment is largest
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 6,400 | $59,770 | $89,750 | $131,650 |
| Washington | 9,460 | $50,470 | $79,400 | $116,750 |
| Colorado | 5,620 | $56,930 | $78,190 | $106,160 |
| Massachusetts | 7,800 | $49,770 | $77,640 | $117,480 |
| California | 47,130 | $50,460 | $77,390 | $119,580 |
| Minnesota | 7,400 | $47,730 | $75,570 | $102,920 |
| New Jersey | 12,010 | $47,070 | $71,500 | $99,900 |
| Alaska | 570 | $53,830 | $68,700 | $99,320 |
| New York | 34,220 | $48,330 | $68,410 | $115,720 |
| Vermont | 660 | $48,650 | $67,160 | $87,390 |
| Maryland | 6,460 | $48,260 | $65,640 | $108,380 |
| Nevada | 3,620 | $47,640 | $64,680 | $82,160 |
| Virginia | 10,250 | $47,860 | $63,990 | $100,550 |
| Connecticut | 5,210 | $46,440 | $63,820 | $100,040 |
| Illinois | 14,130 | $46,860 | $63,670 | $104,580 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,670 | $45,710 | $63,370 | $96,080 |
| Nebraska | 1,630 | $44,230 | $63,250 | $86,990 |
| Utah | 3,250 | $43,930 | $63,220 | $100,510 |
| Delaware | 2,480 | $48,880 | $63,110 | $99,390 |
| Hawaii | 1,170 | $47,010 | $62,840 | $85,440 |
| Maine | 1,210 | $48,260 | $62,420 | $80,550 |
| Georgia | 14,160 | $39,530 | $62,400 | $101,210 |
| Texas | 29,540 | $39,190 | $62,310 | $98,440 |
| Michigan | 7,730 | $46,590 | $62,170 | $96,610 |
| New Hampshire | 1,430 | $46,870 | $62,040 | $86,190 |
| Arizona | 7,890 | $45,700 | $61,630 | $96,340 |
| Oregon | 4,870 | $48,250 | $61,490 | $98,640 |
| Missouri | 7,130 | $42,150 | $61,410 | $96,820 |
| Florida | 40,950 | $38,830 | $61,000 | $83,410 |
| Ohio | 9,270 | $41,720 | $60,420 | $94,660 |
| Louisiana | 4,890 | $36,960 | $60,250 | $78,230 |
| New Mexico | 1,740 | $43,660 | $59,840 | $80,490 |
| Kentucky | 3,540 | $36,560 | $59,830 | $78,730 |
| North Dakota | 730 | $45,300 | $59,430 | $78,430 |
| West Virginia | 1,660 | $35,770 | $59,000 | $107,310 |
| Tennessee | 6,080 | $43,570 | $58,820 | $83,100 |
| Wisconsin | 4,780 | $45,220 | $58,500 | $86,210 |
| South Dakota | 600 | $48,890 | $58,320 | $84,090 |
| North Carolina | 13,650 | $38,570 | $57,500 | $84,410 |
| Montana | 1,010 | $46,140 | $57,290 | $76,660 |
| Indiana | 5,910 | $40,650 | $57,030 | $92,160 |
| Rhode Island | 2,070 | $43,370 | $56,250 | $79,650 |
| Kansas | 2,210 | $38,860 | $55,000 | $79,090 |
| Iowa | 2,980 | $37,900 | $54,550 | $83,520 |
| South Carolina | 7,420 | $38,020 | $53,880 | $75,640 |
| Oklahoma | 3,110 | $36,020 | $53,170 | $82,060 |
| Virgin Islands | 90 | $50,890 | $52,140 | $73,920 |
| Idaho | 2,030 | $36,930 | $49,690 | $75,420 |
| Wyoming | 600 | $35,890 | $49,490 | $64,780 |
| Arkansas | 1,610 | $36,290 | $47,420 | $81,700 |
| Alabama | 5,700 | $30,750 | $47,260 | $77,100 |
| Mississippi | 2,270 | $35,660 | $46,180 | $67,960 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,110 | $29,160 | $38,770 | $73,550 |
| Guam | 110 | $28,600 | $37,920 | $70,410 |
Other legal occupations
- Lawyers
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
- Judicial Law Clerks
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $62,890. Employment is 392,880.
How does Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is 23.4% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $99,250.