Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
Legal Occupations · 393K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$62,890
Median hourly
$30
Average annual
$69,700
Typical range
$44,740–$101,500
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $62,890 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $30 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $44,740 and $101,500 a year. There are roughly 393K people employed as paralegals and legal assistants in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Paralegals and Legal Assistants.
- Hourly
- $30.24
- Daily
- $242
- Weekly
- $1,209
- Bi-weekly
- $2,419
- Monthly
- $5,241
- Annual
- $62,890
$62,890 a year is around the 50th percentile for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss. The median is $62,890.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$89,750
- 2Washington$79,400
- 3Colorado$78,190
- 4Massachusetts$77,640
- 5California$77,390
- 6Minnesota$75,570
- 7New Jersey$71,500
- 8Alaska$68,700
- 9New York$68,410
- 10Vermont$67,160
- 11Maryland$65,640
- 12Nevada$64,680
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$99,250
- 2Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$92,900
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$84,030
- 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$81,590
- 5Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$80,930
- 6Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$80,500
- 7Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$79,850
- 8Vallejo, CA$79,280
- 9Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$78,550
- 10Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$78,160
- 11Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$77,520
- 12Napa, CA$77,020
Related job titles
Employers advertise Paralegals and Legal Assistants roles under these titles.
- Certified Paralegal
- Contract Preparer
- Contracts Specialist
- Corporate Legal Assistant
- Corporate Paralegal
- Family Law Paralegal
- Immigration Paralegal
- Intellectual Property Paralegal
- Law Associate
- Legal Aide
- Legal Analyst
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Clerk
- Legal Processing Assistant
- Litigation Legal Assistant
- Litigation Paralegal
Related occupations
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$55,570
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,650
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners$72,420
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks$48,700
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants$76,590
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs$54,210
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
What a Paralegals and Legal Assistants does
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of case.
- Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Paralegals and Legal Assistants make?
- The median annual wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $62,890 ($30 per hour). Pay ranges from about $44,740 at the 10th percentile to $101,500 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Paralegals and Legal Assistants?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $69,700, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Paralegals and Legal Assistantss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $89,750.
- Is Paralegals and Legal Assistants a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 393K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Paralegals and Legal Assistants do?
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.; Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.; Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases..