Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in California
State wage data from the BLS OEWS survey, May 2025.
Median annual
$77,390
Median hourly
$37
Average annual
$81,320
Employed in state
47K
The median annual salary for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California is $77,390, or about $37 an hour. That is 23% higher than the national median.
Pay in California ranges from $50,460 at the 10th percentile to $119,580 at the 90th percentile. Roughly 47K people work as paralegals and legal assistants in the state.
Pay distribution in California
10th$50,460
25th$60,170
Median$77,390
75th$98,430
90th$119,580
Salary calculator
- Hourly
- $37.21
- Daily
- $298
- Weekly
- $1,488
- Bi-weekly
- $2,977
- Monthly
- $6,449
- Annual
- $77,390
$77,390 a year is around the 50th percentile for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss in California. The median is $77,390.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay by metro area in California
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $99,250 | 2.0K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,030 | 7.6K |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $80,930 | 360 |
| Vallejo, CA | $79,280 | 160 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,550 | 2.6K |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $78,160 | 290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,520 | 22K |
| Napa, CA | $77,020 | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $76,300 | 4.4K |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $75,200 | 280 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $74,780 | 520 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $70,520 | 290 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $69,600 | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $64,690 | 150 |
| Visalia, CA | $64,380 | 120 |
Other jobs in California
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides$35,800
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200
- Retail Salespersons$35,410
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Registered Nurses$97,550
- Cashiers$32,880
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
- Stockers and Order Fillers$37,330
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- Software Developers$135,980
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$36,840
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,230
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$58,640
- Security Guards$38,020
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Accountants and Auditors$83,680
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990