Paralegals and Legal Assistants Wages
SOC 23-2011 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $60,970 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $39,710 and the 90th percentile is $98,830, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
354,890
P10
$39,710
P25
$48,180
Median
$60,970
P75
$77,600
P90
$98,830
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $60,970 | $66,460 | $39,710 | $98,830 | 354,890 | — |
| 2022 | $59,200 | $62,840 | $37,690 | $94,960 | 345,240 | -2.9% |
| 2021 | $56,230 | $58,330 | $36,410 | $88,640 | 336,250 | -5.02% |
| 2020 | $52,920 | $56,610 | $32,900 | $85,160 | 332,720 | -5.89% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants. The highest median is in District of Columbia at $95,480, 57% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $95,480 | +56.6% | $94,290 | 5,340 |
| California | $75,140 | +23.2% | $79,210 | 39,220 |
| New York | $73,740 | +20.9% | $78,850 | 30,930 |
| Massachusetts | $70,570 | +15.7% | $74,710 | 7,520 |
| Connecticut | $69,370 | +13.8% | $71,140 | 4,850 |
| Washington | $69,260 | +13.6% | $75,560 | 7,960 |
| Colorado | $68,860 | +12.9% | $72,220 | 5,400 |
| New Jersey | $68,370 | +12.1% | $70,380 | 11,440 |
| Rhode Island | $68,190 | +11.8% | $70,220 | 1,450 |
| Maryland | $64,940 | +6.5% | $68,070 | 6,190 |
| Delaware | $63,930 | +4.9% | $71,360 | 1,590 |
| Oregon | $63,410 | +4% | $69,100 | 5,010 |
| Nevada | $62,700 | +2.8% | $61,200 | 3,360 |
| Minnesota | $62,590 | +2.7% | $68,410 | 5,650 |
| Vermont | $61,880 | +1.5% | $61,990 | 620 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,220 | +0.4% | $65,940 | 12,530 |
| Arizona | $61,080 | +0.2% | $65,400 | 7,550 |
| Florida | $60,650 | -0.5% | $61,830 | 35,020 |
| Hawaii | $60,460 | -0.8% | $64,250 | 1,170 |
| Michigan | $59,970 | -1.6% | $63,460 | 7,580 |
| Missouri | $59,890 | -1.8% | $61,100 | 5,640 |
| Virginia | $59,580 | -2.3% | $63,820 | 9,460 |
| Maine | $59,370 | -2.6% | $59,800 | 1,260 |
| New Hampshire | $59,160 | -3% | $59,810 | 1,460 |
| Alaska | $59,120 | -3% | $63,180 | 760 |
| South Dakota | $59,040 | -3.2% | $59,560 | 470 |
| Iowa | $59,020 | -3.2% | $59,610 | 2,520 |
| Texas | $58,740 | -3.7% | $63,720 | 28,140 |
| Georgia | $58,540 | -4% | $61,210 | 12,440 |
| Nebraska | $58,080 | -4.7% | $60,580 | 1,420 |
| Illinois | $57,360 | -5.9% | $63,340 | 15,780 |
| Montana | $56,400 | -7.5% | $58,310 | 1,130 |
| Oklahoma | $55,560 | -8.9% | $56,430 | 2,790 |
| North Dakota | $54,490 | -10.6% | $55,940 | 690 |
| Ohio | $53,330 | -12.5% | $57,360 | 8,910 |
| Wisconsin | $53,040 | -13% | $57,750 | 4,640 |
| New Mexico | $52,000 | -14.7% | $56,840 | 1,850 |
| North Carolina | $52,000 | -14.7% | $57,860 | 12,160 |
| Utah | $52,000 | -14.7% | $57,440 | 3,190 |
| Wyoming | $50,860 | -16.6% | $56,870 | 400 |
| West Virginia | $50,840 | -16.6% | $56,870 | 1,780 |
| Tennessee | $50,510 | -17.2% | $56,440 | 5,360 |
| Kentucky | $49,800 | -18.3% | $53,910 | 2,590 |
| Indiana | $48,990 | -19.6% | $56,480 | 5,550 |
| Louisiana | $48,210 | -20.9% | $53,980 | 4,860 |
| Idaho | $48,190 | -21% | $52,980 | 1,720 |
| South Carolina | $47,790 | -21.6% | $50,820 | 7,050 |
| Alabama | $47,780 | -21.6% | $53,450 | 4,000 |
| Kansas | $47,320 | -22.4% | $53,310 | 3,050 |
| Mississippi | $38,450 | -36.9% | $46,620 | 1,980 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | 1,460 |