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Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary by State
There were an estimated 367,220 paralegals and legal assistants working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) paralegal earned $61,010 a year, or $29.33 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $66,510. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of paralegals and legal assistants earned $39,710 or less, the bottom quarter earned $48,190 or less, the top quarter earned at least $78,280, and the top 10% earned at least $98,990. Where a paralegal works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where paralegals and legal assistants earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for paralegals and legal assistants is in District of Columbia, at $99,300 a year — 62.8% higher than the national median of $61,010. Next are Washington at $78,010 and Massachusetts at $74,990. At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest published median, $39,120, which is 35.9% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.5 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the paralegal jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 45,740 paralegals and legal assistants, and the three largest states — California, Florida, and Texas — together account for 30% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $72,960, 19.6% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Paralegal salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for paralegals and legal assistants in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of paralegals and legal assistants in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 5,880 | $47.74 | $99,300 | $96,200 | $128,100 |
| Washington | 9,070 | $37.50 | $78,010 | $83,930 | $115,120 |
| Massachusetts | 7,520 | $36.05 | $74,990 | $78,540 | $107,650 |
| Colorado | 5,430 | $35.28 | $73,380 | $76,570 | $106,080 |
| California | 45,740 | $35.08 | $72,960 | $76,920 | $105,350 |
| Minnesota | 6,640 | $32.37 | $67,320 | $71,560 | $98,480 |
| New York | 28,510 | $31.92 | $66,390 | $74,580 | $105,910 |
| Oregon | 4,910 | $30.75 | $63,970 | $70,210 | $99,780 |
| Maryland | 5,770 | $30.56 | $63,560 | $69,520 | $99,520 |
| Connecticut | 4,920 | $30.41 | $63,260 | $67,230 | $95,220 |
| Vermont | 730 | $30.29 | $63,000 | $62,360 | $79,440 |
| New Jersey | 11,720 | $30.19 | $62,790 | $69,010 | $98,360 |
| Illinois | 12,430 | $29.95 | $62,290 | $68,960 | $102,270 |
| Nevada | 3,490 | $29.85 | $62,090 | $59,740 | $78,760 |
| Michigan | 7,240 | $29.56 | $61,490 | $65,430 | $88,000 |
| Nebraska | 1,570 | $29.53 | $61,410 | $62,850 | $88,540 |
| Arizona | 6,780 | $29.43 | $61,220 | $66,150 | $97,070 |
| Virginia | 8,570 | $29.42 | $61,200 | $66,570 | $97,520 |
| Alaska | 690 | $29.39 | $61,120 | $66,560 | $95,410 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,130 | $29.30 | $60,950 | $65,920 | $94,990 |
| Hawaii | 1,170 | $29.28 | $60,890 | $64,210 | $83,890 |
| New Hampshire | 1,580 | $29.16 | $60,640 | $63,910 | $87,260 |
| Florida | 37,410 | $28.98 | $60,280 | $61,150 | $82,450 |
| Delaware | 2,220 | $28.84 | $60,000 | $66,460 | $97,800 |
| North Dakota | 610 | $28.80 | $59,910 | $59,800 | $77,160 |
| Texas | 28,770 | $28.70 | $59,700 | $62,650 | $96,530 |
| Ohio | 8,160 | $28.30 | $58,870 | $61,000 | $83,530 |
| Missouri | 6,410 | $28.24 | $58,730 | $60,260 | $84,610 |
| Maine | 1,260 | $28.13 | $58,510 | $58,450 | $78,000 |
| South Dakota | 660 | $27.55 | $57,300 | $59,790 | $84,150 |
| New Mexico | 1,660 | $27.22 | $56,620 | $58,620 | $77,570 |
| Wisconsin | 4,930 | $27.18 | $56,520 | $60,450 | $81,910 |
| Utah | 2,890 | $26.75 | $55,630 | $60,240 | $87,900 |
| Tennessee | 5,890 | $26.57 | $55,270 | $57,360 | $76,510 |
| Georgia | 14,480 | $26.50 | $55,120 | $62,400 | $92,500 |
| Rhode Island | 1,830 | $26.22 | $54,540 | $57,330 | $81,880 |
| Montana | 1,060 | $26.07 | $54,230 | $56,870 | $76,700 |
| Idaho | 2,250 | $25.97 | $54,020 | $54,380 | $74,610 |
| Iowa | 2,530 | $25.62 | $53,280 | $56,060 | $78,640 |
| Indiana | 5,970 | $24.37 | $50,690 | $60,220 | $93,930 |
| Oklahoma | 2,500 | $24.14 | $50,200 | $54,950 | $78,950 |
| Wyoming | 530 | $24.03 | $49,980 | $54,320 | $72,800 |
| West Virginia | 1,680 | $23.86 | $49,620 | $56,540 | $87,050 |
| North Carolina | 12,270 | $23.75 | $49,390 | $56,810 | $82,380 |
| Kentucky | 3,080 | $23.56 | $49,000 | $54,460 | $77,800 |
| Kansas | 2,330 | $23.52 | $48,910 | $54,310 | $80,240 |
| South Carolina | 7,260 | $23.39 | $48,640 | $51,550 | $67,950 |
| Louisiana | 4,960 | $22.88 | $47,580 | $52,380 | $77,200 |
| Arkansas | 1,400 | $22.57 | $46,940 | $62,540 | $77,330 |
| Alabama | 5,480 | $22.15 | $46,060 | $49,800 | $73,300 |
| Mississippi | 2,080 | $18.81 | $39,120 | $46,310 | $67,620 |
Paralegal wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 70 | $24.12 | $50,160 | $53,160 | $72,550 |
| Guam | 80 | $21.15 | $43,990 | $49,280 | $74,960 |
| Puerto Rico | 780 | $18.58 | $38,640 | $49,090 | $91,890 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of paralegals and legal assistants earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $66,510 sits above the median of $61,010 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Paralegal salary FAQ
What is the average paralegal salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants at $66,510 in May 2024, with a median of $61,010 ($29.33 an hour) across 367,220 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays paralegals and legal assistants the most?
District of Columbia has the highest median pay for paralegals and legal assistants, at $99,300 a year in May 2024 — 62.8% higher than the national median of $61,010.
Which state pays paralegals and legal assistants the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Mississippi has the lowest median for paralegals and legal assistants, at $39,120 a year, 35.9% lower than the national median.
How many paralegals and legal assistants are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 367,220 paralegals and legal assistants jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 45,740 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.