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Occupational Employment Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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" (43-6012).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
309,940 1.1 % $26.20 $54,500 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.10 $18.68 $24.49 $31.29 $39.45
Annual Wage (2) $31,400 $38,860 $50,940 $65,080 $82,050

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 238,040 20.92 $25.20 $52,410
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 13,930 0.25 $26.36 $54,820
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 12,900 0.64 $33.91 $70,540
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,340 0.47 $23.66 $49,220
Management of Companies and Enterprises 6,520 0.27 $33.19 $69,040

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 238,040 20.92 $25.20 $52,410
Other Investment Pools and Funds 120 1.38 $27.60 $57,410
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 170 0.78 $29.99 $62,380
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 12,900 0.64 $33.91 $70,540
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,340 0.47 $23.66 $49,220

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Grantmaking and Giving Services 90 0.07 $45.54 $94,710
Software Publishers 360 0.09 $39.76 $82,700
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 30 0.01 $39.69 $82,560
Natural Gas Distribution 70 0.07 $39.50 $82,160
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 180 0.06 $38.61 $80,320

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 33,390 1.96 0.92 $29.44 $61,240
Florida 30,230 3.51 1.64 $24.10 $50,120
New York 25,500 2.72 1.27 $28.25 $58,750
Texas 24,290 2.01 0.94 $27.05 $56,270
Illinois 13,540 2.26 1.06 $27.49 $57,180




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,330 7.48 3.49 $38.69 $80,470
Florida 30,230 3.51 1.64 $24.10 $50,120
South Carolina 6,060 2.94 1.37 $21.87 $45,480
Connecticut 4,780 2.88 1.34 $30.17 $62,760
New York 25,500 2.72 1.27 $28.25 $58,750




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,330 7.48 3.49 $38.69 $80,470
Connecticut 4,780 2.88 1.34 $30.17 $62,760
California 33,390 1.96 0.92 $29.44 $61,240
Washington 6,220 1.91 0.89 $29.30 $60,940
Massachusetts 7,330 2.05 0.96 $29.00 $60,320





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

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 26,250 2.76 1.29 $29.18 $60,700
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 15,960 2.61 1.22 $26.73 $55,590
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 13,100 5.06 2.36 $25.74 $53,540
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 11,680 2.52 1.18 $27.68 $57,570
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 11,540 3.68 1.72 $33.09 $68,820
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 8,820 3.09 1.45 $26.80 $55,740
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 7,290 2.72 1.27 $26.86 $55,870
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,280 2.04 0.95 $31.20 $64,900
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 6,160 2.06 0.96 $28.75 $59,800
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 6,040 2.19 1.02 $29.89 $62,170