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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
Employment (1) |
Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
329,870 |
1.1 % |
$26.45 |
$55,020 |
0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$15.46 |
$18.99 |
$24.87 |
$31.54 |
$39.66 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$32,160 |
$39,500 |
$51,740 |
$65,610 |
$82,500 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
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 |
254,830 |
22.24 |
$25.44 |
$52,910 |
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) |
14,640 |
0.26 |
$26.54 |
$55,210 |
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
13,540 |
0.67 |
$33.67 |
$70,040 |
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) |
10,140 |
0.47 |
$23.54 |
$48,970 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises |
7,010 |
0.28 |
$34.25 |
$71,250 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
Top paying industries for this occupation:
Geographic profile for this occupation:
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 |
35,040 |
2.02 |
0.90 |
$29.72 |
$61,810 |
Florida |
30,850 |
3.51 |
1.56 |
$24.58 |
$51,130 |
New York |
29,310 |
3.08 |
1.37 |
$27.92 |
$58,070 |
Texas |
27,040 |
2.18 |
0.97 |
$26.17 |
$54,430 |
Illinois |
13,980 |
2.32 |
1.03 |
$28.83 |
$59,960 |
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 |
5,810 |
8.02 |
3.57 |
$39.43 |
$82,010 |
Florida |
30,850 |
3.51 |
1.56 |
$24.58 |
$51,130 |
Connecticut |
5,160 |
3.10 |
1.38 |
$28.96 |
$60,240 |
New York |
29,310 |
3.08 |
1.37 |
$27.92 |
$58,070 |
Delaware |
1,350 |
2.99 |
1.33 |
$27.47 |
$57,140 |
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 |
5,810 |
8.02 |
3.57 |
$39.43 |
$82,010 |
Colorado |
5,290 |
1.97 |
0.88 |
$29.93 |
$62,250 |
California |
35,040 |
2.02 |
0.90 |
$29.72 |
$61,810 |
Massachusetts |
6,840 |
1.89 |
0.84 |
$29.64 |
$61,650 |
Washington |
6,880 |
2.07 |
0.92 |
$29.25 |
$60,840 |
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 |
29,030 |
3.01 |
1.34 |
$29.05 |
$60,430 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
16,870 |
2.70 |
1.20 |
$27.39 |
$56,960 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
12,550 |
3.95 |
1.76 |
$33.67 |
$70,030 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
12,180 |
2.60 |
1.16 |
$29.18 |
$60,690 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
12,030 |
4.55 |
2.03 |
$27.19 |
$56,560 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
9,210 |
3.20 |
1.43 |
$27.95 |
$58,130 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
8,460 |
3.08 |
1.37 |
$27.19 |
$56,560 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
7,940 |
2.17 |
0.97 |
$30.14 |
$62,690 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
5,810 |
2.35 |
1.05 |
$34.31 |
$71,360 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
5,780 |
2.73 |
1.21 |
$25.30 |
$52,620 |
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