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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
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: Top
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) |
332,720 |
1.1 % |
$ 27.22 |
$ 56,610 |
0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$ 15.82 |
$ 19.54 |
$ 25.44 |
$ 32.25 |
$ 40.94 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$ 32,900 |
$ 40,640 |
$ 52,920 |
$ 67,080 |
$ 85,160 |
Industry profile for Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Top
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 |
256,840 |
22.58 |
$ 26.06 |
$ 54,200 |
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
14,670 |
0.71 |
$ 35.06 |
$ 72,930 |
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
14,430 |
0.27 |
$ 27.47 |
$ 57,130 |
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
10,100 |
0.46 |
$ 24.71 |
$ 51,390 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises |
7,070 |
0.29 |
$ 35.76 |
$ 74,390 |
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: Top
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) |
Florida |
33,760 |
4.00 |
1.67 |
$ 25.05 |
$ 52,100 |
California |
33,490 |
2.04 |
0.85 |
$ 31.85 |
$ 66,250 |
Texas |
27,630 |
2.28 |
0.95 |
$ 27.41 |
$ 57,020 |
New York |
27,540 |
3.17 |
1.32 |
$ 30.06 |
$ 62,530 |
Illinois |
13,320 |
2.37 |
0.99 |
$ 29.03 |
$ 60,390 |
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 |
5,870 |
8.55 |
3.57 |
$ 40.06 |
$ 83,330 |
Florida |
33,760 |
4.00 |
1.67 |
$ 25.05 |
$ 52,100 |
Delaware |
1,620 |
3.80 |
1.59 |
$ 24.94 |
$ 51,870 |
New York |
27,540 |
3.17 |
1.32 |
$ 30.06 |
$ 62,530 |
Connecticut |
4,860 |
3.16 |
1.32 |
$ 29.36 |
$ 61,070 |
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 |
5,870 |
8.55 |
3.57 |
$ 40.06 |
$ 83,330 |
California |
33,490 |
2.04 |
0.85 |
$ 31.85 |
$ 66,250 |
Washington |
6,620 |
2.07 |
0.87 |
$ 30.31 |
$ 63,050 |
Colorado |
5,520 |
2.14 |
0.89 |
$ 30.26 |
$ 62,950 |
New York |
27,540 |
3.17 |
1.32 |
$ 30.06 |
$ 62,530 |
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 |
27,600 |
3.12 |
1.31 |
$ 31.18 |
$ 64,850 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
15,250 |
2.62 |
1.09 |
$ 30.48 |
$ 63,390 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
13,280 |
5.30 |
2.21 |
$ 27.13 |
$ 56,420 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
12,760 |
4.22 |
1.77 |
$ 33.99 |
$ 70,700 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
11,480 |
2.63 |
1.10 |
$ 29.39 |
$ 61,140 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
9,160 |
3.48 |
1.45 |
$ 27.10 |
$ 56,370 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
8,860 |
3.29 |
1.37 |
$ 28.78 |
$ 59,860 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
7,690 |
2.14 |
0.90 |
$ 32.18 |
$ 66,940 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
6,390 |
2.74 |
1.15 |
$ 36.45 |
$ 75,820 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
5,920 |
2.81 |
1.17 |
$ 25.98 |
$ 54,040 |
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) |
Tallahassee, FL |
950 |
5.62 |
2.35 |
$ 22.66 |
$ 47,120 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
13,280 |
5.30 |
2.21 |
$ 27.13 |
$ 56,420 |
New Bern, NC |
220 |
5.29 |
2.21 |
$ 21.11 |
$ 43,910 |
Charleston, WV |
510 |
4.98 |
2.08 |
$ 28.56 |
$ 59,410 |
Columbia, SC |
1,800 |
4.82 |
2.02 |
$ 22.76 |
$ 47,330 |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,250 |
4.37 |
1.83 |
$ 25.20 |
$ 52,410 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL |
5,670 |
4.35 |
1.82 |
$ 23.16 |
$ 48,180 |
Port St. Lucie, FL |
620 |
4.24 |
1.77 |
$ 23.47 |
$ 48,820 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
12,760 |
4.22 |
1.77 |
$ 33.99 |
$ 70,700 |
Roanoke, VA |
590 |
4.08 |
1.70 |
$ 19.49 |
$ 40,550 |
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