Legal Assistant/Paralegal Salary in the United States
How much does a Legal Assistant/Paralegal make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Legal Assistant/Paralegal in the United States is $46,409 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.
However, a Legal Assistant/Paralegal's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $56,030
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,896 to $51,445
Key Factors That Influence Legal Assistant/Paralegal Salaries
A Legal Assistant/Paralegal'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 Assistant/Paralegal Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Legal Assistant/Paralegal'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 Assistant/Paralegal 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 Assistant/Paralegals. 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: $58,536
San Francisco: $57,895
Oakland: $56,675
San Jose, CA$58,536
San Francisco, CA$57,895
Oakland, CA$56,675
New York, NY$53,435
Paramus, NJ$52,785
Queens Village, NY$52,783
Passaic, NJ$52,739
Bergenfield, NJ$52,735
Stamford, CT$52,633
Huntington, NY$52,614
Newark, NJ$52,271
Bridgeport, CT$52,173
Vallejo, CA$52,080
New Brunswick, NJ$52,062
Petaluma, CA$52,034
Middlesex, NJ$51,946
Somerset, NJ$51,913
Santa Cruz, CA$51,853
Boston, MA$51,570
Monterey, CA$51,407
Seattle, WA$51,301
Santa Rosa, CA$51,291
Los Angeles, CA$51,277
Juneau, AK$51,157
Washington, DC$51,106
Orange, CA$50,940
Santa Ana, CA$50,818
Long Beach, CA$50,772
Anaheim, CA$50,762
Anchorage, AK$50,739
Santa Maria, CA$50,600
Everett, WA$50,591
Danbury, CT$50,427
Bremerton, WA$50,363
Tacoma, WA$50,196
New Suffolk, NY$50,195
Sacramento, CA$50,182
Santa Barbara, CA$50,131
Trenton, NJ$50,080
San Diego, CA$50,080
Brockton, MA$50,029
Fairbanks, AK$49,915
Lompoc, CA$49,797
Lowell, MA$49,759
Ventura, CA$49,751
Nashua, NH$49,741
Stockton, CA$49,737
Modesto, CA$49,398
Poughkeepsie, NY$49,296
Olympia, WA$49,208
Kennewick, WA$49,208
New Haven, CT$49,189
Lawrence, MA$49,022
Hartford, CT$48,976
Riverside, CA$48,966
New Bedford, MA$48,920
Richland, WA$48,920
Bakersfield, CA$48,855
San Bernardino, CA$48,836
New Britain, CT$48,832
Atlantic City, NJ$48,832
New London, CT$48,813
Norwich, CT$48,799
Portsmouth, NH$48,790
Boulder, CO$48,691
Portland, OR$48,627
Worcester, MA$48,623
Minneapolis, MN$48,479
Philadelphia, PA$48,414
Honolulu, HI$48,261
Saint Paul, MN$48,239
Vineland, NJ$48,228
Providence, RI$48,094
Chicago, IL$47,959
Bellingham, WA$47,903
Springfield, MA$47,866
Baltimore, MD$47,852
Chico, CA$47,736
Pittsfield, MA$47,611
Manchester, NH$47,523
Spokane, WA$47,319
Denver, CO$47,314
Albany, NY$47,096
Troy, NY$47,077
Nassau, NY$47,028
Schenectady, NY$46,980
Wilmington, DE$46,943
Burlington, VT$46,878
Salem, OR$46,859
Portland, ME$46,715
Yakima, WA$46,669
Rochester, MN$46,525
Reno, NV$46,502
Fresno, CA$46,502
Milwaukee, WI$46,460
Detroit, MI$46,414
Ann Arbor, MI$46,406
Allentown, PA$46,400
Colorado Springs, CO$46,321
Syracuse, NY$46,298
Carson City, NV$46,298
Houston, TX$46,233
Eugene, OR$46,210
Gary, IN$46,154
Springfield, OR$46,117
Bismarck, ND$46,107
Galveston, TX$46,075
Medford, OR$46,005
Fort Collins, CO$45,987
Concord, NH$45,964
Austin, TX$45,950
Mesa, AZ$45,852
Reading, PA$45,848
Phoenix, AZ$45,843
Dallas, TX$45,829
Saint Cloud, MN$45,784
Madison, WI$45,722
Utica, NY$45,597
Rochester, NY$45,523
Des Moines, IA$45,518
Raleigh, NC$45,513
Atlanta, GA$45,444
Battle Creek, MI$45,430
Salt Lake City, UT$45,416
Lancaster, PA$45,346
Harrisburg, PA$45,281
Kansas City, MO$45,235
Champaign, IL$45,226
Kansas City, KS$45,226
Fort Worth, TX$45,221
Columbus, OH$45,213
Boca Raton, FL$45,202
Pittsburgh, PA$45,184
Richmond, VA$45,165
Indianapolis, IN$45,156
Cleveland, OH$45,151
Las Vegas, NV$45,096
Cincinnati, OH$45,096
Petersburg, VA$45,026
Huntsville, AL$44,956
Lansing, MI$44,925
Lebanon, PA$44,919
Pueblo, CO$44,915
Appleton, WI$44,901
Buffalo, NY$44,882
Dayton, OH$44,868
Racine, WI$44,859
Charlotte, NC$44,854
Saint Louis, MO$44,840
York, PA$44,813
Elkhart, IN$44,813
Gastonia, NC$44,804
Billings, MT$44,793
Beaumont, TX$44,780
Lorain, OH$44,771
Benton Harbor, MI$44,762
Toledo, OH$44,752
Binghamton, NY$44,729
Rock Hill, SC$44,724
Rockford, IL$44,701
Springfield, IL$44,683
Elyria, OH$44,678
Fargo, ND$44,678
Flagstaff, AZ$44,646
Fort Lauderdale, FL$44,618
Duluth, MN$44,590
Miami, FL$44,590
Cheyenne, WY$44,557
Grand Forks, ND$44,557
Bangor, ME$44,455
Cedar Rapids, IA$44,404
Durham, NC$44,385
Louisville, KY$44,381
Grand Rapids, MI$44,372
Hialeah, FL$44,367
Casper, WY$44,302
Scranton, PA$44,246
New Orleans, LA$44,233
Virginia Beach, VA$44,228
Akron, OH$44,205
Peoria, IL$44,144
Sarasota, FL$44,135
Nashville, TN$44,103
Omaha, NE$44,103
Green Bay, WI$44,103
Baton Rouge, LA$44,079
Charleston, SC$44,070
Jamestown, NY$44,047
Davenport, IA$44,047
Tucson, AZ$44,024
Saint Petersburg, FL$43,996
Tampa, FL$43,987
Evansville, IN$43,959
Port Arthur, TX$43,959
Bradenton, FL$43,940
Santa Fe, NM$43,857
Orlando, FL$43,773
Clearwater, FL$43,759
Canton, OH$43,662
La Crosse, WI$43,662
Albuquerque, NM$43,634
Newport News, VA$43,629
High Point, NC$43,615
Ogden, UT$43,597
Corpus Christi, TX$43,560
Norfolk, VA$43,532
Laramie, WY$43,532
Rock Island, IL$43,504
Saginaw, MI$43,495
Jacksonville, FL$43,490
Salisbury, NC$43,481
Boise, ID$43,471
Moline, IL$43,448
Fort Myers, FL$43,434
Memphis, TN$43,425
Tulsa, OK$43,402
Waterloo, IA$43,374
Spartanburg, SC$43,328
Lincoln, NE$43,304
Fort Wayne, IN$43,295
Provo, UT$43,290
Cedar Falls, IA$43,235
San Antonio, TX$43,216
Greensboro, NC$43,198
South Bend, IN$43,193
Savannah, GA$43,142
Muskegon, MI$43,123
Birmingham, AL$43,119
Winston Salem, NC$43,096
Lake Charles, LA$42,984
Anderson, IN$42,975
Lexington, KY$42,961
Augusta, GA$42,947
Greenville, SC$42,947
Lima, OH$42,910
Wichita, KS$42,905
Tuscaloosa, AL$42,905
Columbia, SC$42,863
Springfield, OH$42,854
Asheville, NC$42,780
Bloomington, IN$42,747
Knoxville, TN$42,580
Shreveport, LA$42,576
Wilmington, NC$42,515
Roanoke, VA$42,515
Topeka, KS$42,432
Frankfort, KY$42,427
Oklahoma City, OK$42,395
Chillicothe, OH$42,376
Longview, TX$42,372
Melbourne, FL$42,367
Sioux Falls, SD$42,293
Mobile, AL$42,288
Terre Haute, IN$42,269
Altoona, PA$42,242
Amarillo, TX$42,209
Killeen, TX$42,195
Fayetteville, AR$42,158
Chattanooga, TN$42,144
Sioux City, IA$42,102
Idaho Falls, ID$42,093
Lynchburg, VA$42,056
Gainesville, FL$41,996
Portsmouth, OH$41,972
Little Rock, AR$41,963
Lafayette, LA$41,945
Youngstown, OH$41,945
Daytona Beach, FL$41,917
Clarksville, TN$41,912
Pensacola, FL$41,907
Temple, TX$41,904
Hopkinsville, KY$41,768
Erie, PA$41,759
Florence, SC$41,740
Charleston, WV$41,666
Great Falls, MT$41,643
Macon, GA$41,578
Tallahassee, FL$41,573
Fayetteville, NC$41,564
Waco, TX$41,555
Helena, MT$41,522
Pine Bluff, AR$41,505
Vincennes, IN$41,448
Lubbock, TX$41,429
Alamogordo, NM$41,402
Twin Falls, ID$41,360
Rapid City, SD$41,346
Jackson, MS$41,262
Huntington, WV$41,259
Greenville, MS$41,258
Parkersburg, WV$41,210
Montgomery, AL$41,202
Wichita Falls, TX$41,156
Springfield, MO$41,156
Biloxi, MS$41,132
Monroe, LA$41,086
Johnstown, PA$41,053
Sumter, SC$41,035
Columbus, GA$41,030
Pascagoula, MS$40,942
Abilene, TX$40,942
Kingsport, TN$40,821
Albany, GA$40,821
Gulfport, MS$40,808
Alexandria, LA$40,654
Fort Smith, AR$40,538
El Paso, TX$40,413
Las Cruces, NM$40,204
Harlingen, TX$40,086
Pocatello, ID$40,079
Florence, AL$40,019
Brownsville, TX$40,009
Mcallen, TX$39,912
Dothan, AL$39,847
Columbus, MS$39,571
Altus, OK$39,355
Lawton, OK$39,267
Pierre, SD$39,100
What Skills Can Increase a Legal Assistant/Paralegal's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Attention to Detail (Mentioned in 3.34% Job Postings): Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.
Estate Planning (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging, during a person's life, for the management and disposal of that person's estate during the person's life and at and after death, while minimizing gift, estate, generation skipping transfer, and income tax. Estate planning includes planning for incapacity as well as a process of reducing or eliminating uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximizing the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses. The ultimate goal of estate planning can be determined by the specific goals of the client, and may be as simple or complex as the client's needs dictate. Guardians are often designated for minor children and beneficiaries in incapacity. The law of estate planning overlaps to some degree with elder law, which additionally includes other provisions such as long-term care.
Due Diligence (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Due diligence is the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations. A common example of due diligence in various industries is the process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets for an acquisition. The theory behind due diligence holds that performing this type of investigation contributes significantly to informed decision making by enhancing the amount and quality of information available to decision makers and by ensuring that this information is systematically used to deliberate in a reflexive manner on the decision at hand and all its costs, benefits, and risks.
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 Assistant/Paralegal's salary.
Corporate Governance: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Due Diligence: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Legal Research: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Legal Assistant/Paralegal Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Legal Assistant/Paralegal roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Legal Assistant/Paralegal positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Legal Assistant/Paralegal as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$51,050
$25.0
10%
How Education impacts a Legal Assistant/Paralegal's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Legal Assistant/Paralegals 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 Assistant/Paralegal with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$41,715
and $44,481).
Legal Assistant/Paralegal Salaries by Degree Level
Legal Assistant/Paralegal Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Legal Assistant/Paralegal'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$41,896
Average$46,409/year
$51,445
$3,491
Average$3,867/month
$4,287
$806
Average$892/week
$989
$20
Average$22/hour
$25
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$51,445
$4,287
$989
$25
Average
$46,409
$3,867
$892
$22
25th Percentile
$41,896
$3,491
$806
$20
Salaries of Jobs related to Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Salaries for a Legal Assistant/Paralegal can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $46,192 in 2023
to around $44,493 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Legal Assistant/Paralegal salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Legal Assistant/Paralegal Over Time
$???
$46,192
$44,917
$44,493
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$46,192
2024
$44,917
2025
$44,493
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Here are companies hiring for Legal Assistant/Paralegal and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Legal Assistant/Paralegal
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Legal Assistant/Paralegal?
The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Legal Assistant/Paralegal roles,
with salaries approximately 10% 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.
