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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants
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. Excludes “Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants” (43-6012).
National estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Industry profile for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Geographic profile for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
National estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Employment (1) |
Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
336,250 |
1.8 % |
$ 28.04 |
$ 58,330 |
1.1 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$ 17.51 |
$ 21.82 |
$ 27.03 |
$ 34.98 |
$ 42.61 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$ 36,410 |
$ 45,390 |
$ 56,230 |
$ 72,750 |
$ 88,640 |
Industry profile for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Paralegals and Legal Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
Legal Services |
258,310 |
22.64 |
$ 26.78 |
$ 55,690 |
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
15,480 |
0.73 |
$ 35.38 |
$ 73,580 |
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
14,890 |
0.28 |
$ 27.78 |
$ 57,770 |
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
9,240 |
0.42 |
$ 25.99 |
$ 54,060 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises |
7,250 |
0.29 |
$ 37.73 |
$ 78,480 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Top paying industries for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Geographic profile for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Paralegals and Legal Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
California |
34,710 |
2.10 |
0.88 |
$ 33.79 |
$ 70,290 |
New York |
30,400 |
3.51 |
1.47 |
$ 30.42 |
$ 63,270 |
Florida |
30,000 |
3.49 |
1.46 |
$ 25.93 |
$ 53,940 |
Texas |
25,780 |
2.11 |
0.88 |
$ 26.94 |
$ 56,030 |
Illinois |
13,630 |
2.43 |
1.02 |
$ 29.29 |
$ 60,920 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
District of Columbia |
5,540 |
8.36 |
3.50 |
$ 40.11 |
$ 83,420 |
Delaware |
2,120 |
4.86 |
2.04 |
$ 28.58 |
$ 59,450 |
New York |
30,400 |
3.51 |
1.47 |
$ 30.42 |
$ 63,270 |
Florida |
30,000 |
3.49 |
1.46 |
$ 25.93 |
$ 53,940 |
Rhode Island |
1,550 |
3.39 |
1.42 |
$ 28.70 |
$ 59,700 |
Top paying states for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
District of Columbia |
5,540 |
8.36 |
3.50 |
$ 40.11 |
$ 83,420 |
Washington |
6,430 |
2.01 |
0.84 |
$ 34.57 |
$ 71,900 |
California |
34,710 |
2.10 |
0.88 |
$ 33.79 |
$ 70,290 |
Massachusetts |
8,430 |
2.48 |
1.04 |
$ 32.12 |
$ 66,820 |
New Jersey |
7,590 |
1.97 |
0.83 |
$ 31.71 |
$ 65,950 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
29,240 |
3.37 |
1.41 |
$ 32.05 |
$ 66,660 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
14,810 |
2.59 |
1.09 |
$ 33.26 |
$ 69,180 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
11,990 |
2.83 |
1.19 |
$ 29.77 |
$ 61,920 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
11,190 |
4.56 |
1.91 |
$ 27.97 |
$ 58,180 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
10,860 |
3.70 |
1.55 |
$ 35.90 |
$ 74,670 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
9,600 |
3.62 |
1.52 |
$ 31.49 |
$ 65,500 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
8,450 |
3.27 |
1.37 |
$ 26.68 |
$ 55,490 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
7,660 |
3.42 |
1.43 |
$ 36.37 |
$ 75,640 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
7,480 |
2.08 |
0.87 |
$ 29.46 |
$ 61,280 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
7,150 |
2.47 |
1.03 |
$ 28.84 |
$ 59,980 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,640 |
5.22 |
2.19 |
$ 24.85 |
$ 51,690 |
Charleston, WV |
490 |
4.97 |
2.08 |
$ 25.58 |
$ 53,210 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
11,190 |
4.56 |
1.91 |
$ 27.97 |
$ 58,180 |
Columbia, SC |
1,660 |
4.56 |
1.91 |
$ 22.98 |
$ 47,790 |
Tallahassee, FL |
760 |
4.44 |
1.86 |
$ 22.78 |
$ 47,390 |
Santa Fe, NM |
240 |
4.27 |
1.79 |
$ 23.82 |
$ 49,550 |
Jackson, MS |
1,030 |
4.20 |
1.76 |
$ 21.67 |
$ 45,060 |
Jacksonville, NC |
200 |
4.17 |
1.75 |
$ 20.96 |
$ 43,600 |
Port St. Lucie, FL |
620 |
4.13 |
1.73 |
$ 23.49 |
$ 48,850 |
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR |
1,340 |
4.13 |
1.73 |
$ 19.95 |
$ 41,500 |
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