Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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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 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
1,930 |
1.80 |
0.75 |
$ 43.58 |
$ 90,640 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
4,560 |
2.38 |
1.00 |
$ 37.00 |
$ 76,960 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
7,660 |
3.42 |
1.43 |
$ 36.37 |
$ 75,640 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
10,860 |
3.70 |
1.55 |
$ 35.90 |
$ 74,670 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
14,810 |
2.59 |
1.09 |
$ 33.26 |
$ 69,180 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
6,760 |
2.62 |
1.10 |
$ 33.22 |
$ 69,090 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
2,890 |
2.08 |
0.87 |
$ 33.07 |
$ 68,790 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
310 |
1.62 |
0.68 |
$ 33.03 |
$ 68,700 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
3,630 |
3.23 |
1.36 |
$ 32.50 |
$ 67,590 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
80 |
0.65 |
0.27 |
$ 32.47 |
$ 67,540 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
