A Legal Intern's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Legal Intern Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Legal Intern's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Legal Intern Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Legal Interns. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $101,476
San Francisco: $100,365
Oakland: $98,250
San Jose, CA$101,476
San Francisco, CA$100,365
Oakland, CA$98,250
New York, NY$92,633
Paramus, NJ$91,507
Queens Village, NY$91,503
Passaic, NJ$91,426
Bergenfield, NJ$91,419
Stamford, CT$91,242
Huntington, NY$91,209
Newark, NJ$90,615
Bridgeport, CT$90,445
Vallejo, CA$90,285
New Brunswick, NJ$90,253
Petaluma, CA$90,204
Middlesex, NJ$90,051
Somerset, NJ$89,995
Santa Cruz, CA$89,891
Boston, MA$89,400
Monterey, CA$89,117
Seattle, WA$88,933
Santa Rosa, CA$88,917
Los Angeles, CA$88,893
Juneau, AK$88,684
Washington, DC$88,595
Orange, CA$88,309
Santa Ana, CA$88,096
Long Beach, CA$88,016
Anaheim, CA$88,000
Anchorage, AK$87,960
Santa Maria, CA$87,718
Everett, WA$87,702
Danbury, CT$87,419
Bremerton, WA$87,308
Tacoma, WA$87,018
New Suffolk, NY$87,017
Sacramento, CA$86,994
Santa Barbara, CA$86,906
Trenton, NJ$86,817
San Diego, CA$86,817
Brockton, MA$86,729
Fairbanks, AK$86,532
Lompoc, CA$86,326
Lowell, MA$86,261
Ventura, CA$86,246
Nashua, NH$86,230
Stockton, CA$86,222
Modesto, CA$85,635
Poughkeepsie, NY$85,458
Olympia, WA$85,305
Kennewick, WA$85,305
New Haven, CT$85,273
Lawrence, MA$84,983
Hartford, CT$84,902
Riverside, CA$84,886
New Bedford, MA$84,806
Richland, WA$84,806
Bakersfield, CA$84,693
San Bernardino, CA$84,661
New Britain, CT$84,653
Atlantic City, NJ$84,653
New London, CT$84,621
Norwich, CT$84,597
Portsmouth, NH$84,581
Boulder, CO$84,410
Portland, OR$84,299
Worcester, MA$84,291
Minneapolis, MN$84,042
Philadelphia, PA$83,929
Honolulu, HI$83,663
Saint Paul, MN$83,625
Vineland, NJ$83,607
Providence, RI$83,374
Chicago, IL$83,141
Bellingham, WA$83,044
Springfield, MA$82,980
Baltimore, MD$82,956
Chico, CA$82,754
Pittsfield, MA$82,537
Manchester, NH$82,384
Spokane, WA$82,030
Denver, CO$82,022
Albany, NY$81,644
Troy, NY$81,612
Nassau, NY$81,526
Schenectady, NY$81,443
Wilmington, DE$81,379
Burlington, VT$81,266
Salem, OR$81,234
Portland, ME$80,984
Yakima, WA$80,904
Rochester, MN$80,655
Reno, NV$80,614
Fresno, CA$80,614
Milwaukee, WI$80,542
Detroit, MI$80,461
Ann Arbor, MI$80,448
Allentown, PA$80,437
Colorado Springs, CO$80,301
Syracuse, NY$80,260
Carson City, NV$80,260
Houston, TX$80,148
Eugene, OR$80,107
Gary, IN$80,011
Springfield, OR$79,947
Bismarck, ND$79,930
Galveston, TX$79,874
Medford, OR$79,753
Fort Collins, CO$79,721
Concord, NH$79,681
Austin, TX$79,657
Mesa, AZ$79,488
Reading, PA$79,480
Phoenix, AZ$79,472
Dallas, TX$79,448
Saint Cloud, MN$79,370
Madison, WI$79,263
Utica, NY$79,045
Rochester, NY$78,917
Des Moines, IA$78,909
Raleigh, NC$78,901
Atlanta, GA$78,780
Battle Creek, MI$78,756
Salt Lake City, UT$78,732
Lancaster, PA$78,611
Harrisburg, PA$78,498
Kansas City, MO$78,418
Champaign, IL$78,402
Kansas City, KS$78,402
Fort Worth, TX$78,394
Columbus, OH$78,380
Boca Raton, FL$78,362
Pittsburgh, PA$78,329
Richmond, VA$78,297
Indianapolis, IN$78,281
Cleveland, OH$78,273
Las Vegas, NV$78,177
Cincinnati, OH$78,177
Petersburg, VA$78,056
Huntsville, AL$77,935
Lansing, MI$77,881
Lebanon, PA$77,871
Pueblo, CO$77,863
Appleton, WI$77,839
Buffalo, NY$77,806
Dayton, OH$77,782
Racine, WI$77,766
Charlotte, NC$77,758
Saint Louis, MO$77,734
York, PA$77,686
Elkhart, IN$77,686
Gastonia, NC$77,671
Billings, MT$77,651
Beaumont, TX$77,629
Lorain, OH$77,613
Benton Harbor, MI$77,597
Toledo, OH$77,581
Binghamton, NY$77,541
Rock Hill, SC$77,533
Rockford, IL$77,493
Springfield, IL$77,461
Elyria, OH$77,452
Fargo, ND$77,452
Flagstaff, AZ$77,396
Fort Lauderdale, FL$77,348
Duluth, MN$77,300
Miami, FL$77,300
Cheyenne, WY$77,243
Grand Forks, ND$77,243
Bangor, ME$77,066
Cedar Rapids, IA$76,978
Durham, NC$76,944
Louisville, KY$76,938
Grand Rapids, MI$76,921
Hialeah, FL$76,913
Casper, WY$76,801
Scranton, PA$76,704
New Orleans, LA$76,680
Virginia Beach, VA$76,672
Akron, OH$76,632
Peoria, IL$76,527
Sarasota, FL$76,511
Nashville, TN$76,455
Omaha, NE$76,455
Green Bay, WI$76,455
Baton Rouge, LA$76,415
Charleston, SC$76,399
Jamestown, NY$76,358
Davenport, IA$76,358
Tucson, AZ$76,318
Saint Petersburg, FL$76,270
Tampa, FL$76,254
Evansville, IN$76,205
Port Arthur, TX$76,205
Bradenton, FL$76,173
Santa Fe, NM$76,028
Orlando, FL$75,884
Clearwater, FL$75,860
Canton, OH$75,691
La Crosse, WI$75,691
Albuquerque, NM$75,642
Newport News, VA$75,634
High Point, NC$75,610
Ogden, UT$75,578
Corpus Christi, TX$75,514
Norfolk, VA$75,465
Laramie, WY$75,465
Rock Island, IL$75,417
Saginaw, MI$75,401
Jacksonville, FL$75,393
Salisbury, NC$75,377
Boise, ID$75,361
Moline, IL$75,320
Fort Myers, FL$75,296
Memphis, TN$75,280
Tulsa, OK$75,240
Waterloo, IA$75,192
Spartanburg, SC$75,111
Lincoln, NE$75,071
Fort Wayne, IN$75,055
Provo, UT$75,047
Cedar Falls, IA$74,950
San Antonio, TX$74,918
Greensboro, NC$74,886
South Bend, IN$74,878
Savannah, GA$74,789
Muskegon, MI$74,757
Birmingham, AL$74,749
Winston Salem, NC$74,710
Lake Charles, LA$74,516
Anderson, IN$74,500
Lexington, KY$74,476
Augusta, GA$74,452
Greenville, SC$74,452
Lima, OH$74,387
Wichita, KS$74,379
Tuscaloosa, AL$74,379
Columbia, SC$74,307
Springfield, OH$74,291
Asheville, NC$74,162
Bloomington, IN$74,106
Knoxville, TN$73,816
Shreveport, LA$73,808
Wilmington, NC$73,703
Roanoke, VA$73,703
Topeka, KS$73,559
Frankfort, KY$73,550
Oklahoma City, OK$73,494
Chillicothe, OH$73,462
Longview, TX$73,454
Melbourne, FL$73,446
Sioux Falls, SD$73,317
Mobile, AL$73,309
Terre Haute, IN$73,277
Altoona, PA$73,229
Amarillo, TX$73,172
Killeen, TX$73,148
Fayetteville, AR$73,084
Chattanooga, TN$73,060
Sioux City, IA$72,987
Idaho Falls, ID$72,971
Lynchburg, VA$72,907
Gainesville, FL$72,802
Portsmouth, OH$72,762
Little Rock, AR$72,746
Lafayette, LA$72,714
Youngstown, OH$72,714
Daytona Beach, FL$72,666
Clarksville, TN$72,657
Pensacola, FL$72,649
Temple, TX$72,644
Hopkinsville, KY$72,408
Erie, PA$72,392
Florence, SC$72,360
Charleston, WV$72,231
Great Falls, MT$72,191
Macon, GA$72,078
Tallahassee, FL$72,070
Fayetteville, NC$72,054
Waco, TX$72,038
Helena, MT$71,982
Pine Bluff, AR$71,951
Vincennes, IN$71,853
Lubbock, TX$71,821
Alamogordo, NM$71,772
Twin Falls, ID$71,700
Rapid City, SD$71,676
Jackson, MS$71,531
Huntington, WV$71,525
Greenville, MS$71,523
Parkersburg, WV$71,441
Montgomery, AL$71,427
Wichita Falls, TX$71,346
Springfield, MO$71,346
Biloxi, MS$71,306
Monroe, LA$71,225
Johnstown, PA$71,169
Sumter, SC$71,137
Columbus, GA$71,129
Pascagoula, MS$70,976
Abilene, TX$70,976
Kingsport, TN$70,767
Albany, GA$70,767
Gulfport, MS$70,743
Alexandria, LA$70,477
Fort Smith, AR$70,276
El Paso, TX$70,059
Las Cruces, NM$69,697
Harlingen, TX$69,492
Pocatello, ID$69,480
Florence, AL$69,375
Brownsville, TX$69,359
Mcallen, TX$69,190
Dothan, AL$69,077
Columbus, MS$68,599
Altus, OK$68,224
Lawton, OK$68,072
Pierre, SD$67,782
What Skills Can Increase a Legal Intern's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Scheduling (Mentioned in 3.94% Job Postings): Scheduling is the process of arranging, controlling and optimizing work and workloads in a production process or manufacturing process.
Microsoft Word (Mentioned in 2.2% Job Postings): Microsoft Word or MS Word is a popular word-processing program used mainly for creating documents, such as brochures, letters, learning activities, quizzes, tests, and students' homework assignments
Corporate Governance (Mentioned in 1.1% Job Postings): Implementing rules, practices, and processes to effectively direct and manage a company to meet its missions and goals.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Legal Intern's salary.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Contract Management: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Corporate Governance: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Legal Intern Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Legal Intern roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 55% above the average.
In contrast, Legal Intern positions in MFG Nondurable or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Legal Intern as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Legal Intern
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$124,703
$60.0
55%
Pharmaceuticals
$116,657
$56.0
45%
Energy & Utilities
$108,612
$52.0
35%
Biotechnology
$104,589
$50.0
30%
Internet
$96,544
$46.0
20%
How Education impacts a Legal Intern's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Legal Interns enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Legal Intern with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$76,463
and $81,364).
Legal Intern Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Legal Intern's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Legal Intern can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $76,892 in 2023
to around $76,635 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Legal Intern salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Legal Intern Over Time
$???
$76,892
$76,957
$76,635
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$76,892
2024
$76,957
2025
$76,635
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Legal Intern
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Legal Intern
Here are companies hiring for Legal Intern and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Legal Intern Job
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FAQ about Legal Intern
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Legal Intern?
The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Legal Intern roles,
with salaries approximately 55% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
