A traditional legal assistant salary includes base salary, bonus, and overtime pay. Take a look at the information below to determine where (department and state) a paralegal can earn the most money. You can also see some pitfalls to avoid when you’re offered a bonus and find out how much you can expect in overtime pay.
| Quick Facts: Paralegals and Legal Assistants | |
|---|---|
| 2012 Median Pay | $46,990 per year $22.59 per hour |
| Entry-Level Education | Associate’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 277,000 |
| Job Outlook, 2012-22 | 17% (Faster than average) |
| Employment Change, 2012-22 | 46,200 |
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Paralegal Salary Ranges by Industries in the U.S.
Based on the 2012 statistics, the annual median wage for paralegal job is $46,990. Also, entry level pay is around $35k. But it appears that you can significantly exceed that pay if you get into the right industry or live in the right state.
| Petroleum & coal manufacturing | $81,150 |
|---|---|
| Medical and diagnostic sector | $72,550 |
| Software authors & publishers | $70,660 |
| Commercial equipment and supplies wholesalers | $69,650 |
| Computer and peripheral equipments manufacturing | $69,200 |
| District of Columbia | $64,760 |
|---|---|
| New York | $60,140 |
| California | $59,270 |
| Illinois | $54,690 |
| Alaska | $52,640 |
| Stockton, CA | $68,120 |
|---|---|
| San Fransisco, CA | $64,080 |
| New York, NY | $63,230 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $63,210 |
| Washington, DC | $63,110 |
Paralegal Salary Statistics By State According to BLS
Below table shows the statistical data gathered from all around the U.S. by BLS as well as an outlook for this decade. You will see that paralegal career path looks solid and promising. The information below derived from BLS and re-formatted.
| State | State | 2012 Avg. | 2013 Zillow Median Property List Price | % of Median Home an Avg. Salary Buys | Projected Employment in 2020 | 2010 Total Employment | 10 Year Growth Rate (2010-2020) | Best States for Paralegals (Avg=1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Missouri | $48,380 | $137,900 | 35% | 5520 | 4500 | 23% | 1.37 |
| Georgia | Georgia | $50,540 | $172,000 | 29% | 9890 | 7750 | 28% | 1.35 |
| Texas | Texas | $50,630 | $193,500 | 26% | 22140 | 17010 | 30% | 1.34 |
| Iowa | Iowa | $43,210 | $131,800 | 33% | 1900 | 1540 | 23% | 1.33 |
| Michigan | Michigan | $49,250 | $124,900 | 39% | 5870 | 5090 | 15% | 1.30 |
| Florida | Florida | $46,500 | $199,900 | 23% | 28430 | 21670 | 31% | 1.29 |
| Ohio | Ohio | $44,530 | $124,900 | 36% | 7860 | 6630 | 19% | 1.29 |
| Illinois | Illinois | $51,630 | $164,900 | 31% | 12170 | 10000 | 22% | 1.26 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee | $42,710 | $160,000 | 27% | 6050 | 4790 | 26% | 1.26 |
| Arizona | Arizona | $47,520 | $215,000 | 22% | 6500 | 5020 | 30% | 1.23 |
| Kansas | Kansas | $43,070 | $133,000 | 32% | 2200 | 1850 | 19% | 1.22 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma | $42,060 | $144,000 | 29% | 3040 | 2520 | 21% | 1.18 |
| Indiana | Indiana | $39,620 | $129,900 | 31% | 4520 | 3800 | 19% | 1.17 |
| Alabama | Alabama | $44,700 | $164,900 | 27% | 3100 | 2550 | 22% | 1.16 |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | $53,220 | $169,900 | 31% | 9910 | 8460 | 17% | 1.14 |
| Utah | Utah | $46,120 | $234,900 | 20% | 2750 | 2140 | 29% | 1.14 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina | $41,740 | $192,000 | 22% | 12840 | 10310 | 25% | 1.10 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas | $38,290 | $139,900 | 27% | 2160 | 1820 | 19% | 1.10 |
| Virginia | Virginia | $50,990 | $240,000 | 21% | 10260 | 8220 | 25% | 1.10 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky | $41,540 | $139,900 | 30% | 3950 | 3400 | 16% | 1.09 |
| Louisiana | Louisiana | $42,370 | $166,300 | 26% | 4530 | 3760 | 21% | 1.09 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin | $43,850 | $156,900 | 28% | 4150 | 3550 | 16% | 1.05 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota | $52,640 | $184,900 | 29% | 4540 | 3920 | 16% | 1.05 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | $39,990 | $139,500 | 29% | 2500 | 2190 | 14% | 1.02 |
| South Carolina | South Carolina | $41,750 | $179,000 | 23% | 4650 | 3910 | 19% | 1.00 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey | $58,050 | $279,900 | 21% | 8390 | 6920 | 21% | 1.00 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | $43,680 | $139,000 | 31% | 1140 | 1030 | 11% | 1.00 |
| Nevada | Nevada | $50,930 | $189,900 | 27% | 1890 | 1650 | 15% | 0.98 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi | $40,930 | $150,000 | 27% | 2390 | 2120 | 13% | 0.95 |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts | $52,020 | $339,900 | 15% | 8170 | 6570 | 24% | 0.94 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | $41,850 | $169,000 | 25% | 630 | 550 | 15% | 0.93 |
| Washington | Washington | $51,730 | $265,000 | 20% | 8180 | 6830 | 20% | 0.93 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota | $43,370 | $195,900 | 22% | 360 | 310 | 16% | 0.91 |
| Idaho | Idaho | $40,250 | $189,500 | 21% | 860 | 740 | 16% | 0.89 |
| Oregon | Oregon | $54,460 | $255,000 | 21% | 2400 | 2080 | 15% | 0.87 |
| Maine | Maine | $46,210 | $195,900 | 24% | 1230 | 1090 | 13% | 0.86 |
| Maryland | Maryland | $50,970 | $265,000 | 19% | 6910 | 5920 | 17% | 0.85 |
| Colorado | Colorado | $50,480 | $279,900 | 18% | 5320 | 4540 | 17% | 0.84 |
| New York | New York | $53,570 | $300,000 | 18% | 26850 | 22910 | 17% | 0.83 |
| Montana | Montana | $40,110 | $269,900 | 15% | 1070 | 890 | 20% | 0.83 |
| California | California | $58,570 | $400,000 | 15% | 32200 | 26800 | 20% | 0.82 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | $46,780 | $249,900 | 19% | 910 | 800 | 14% | 0.77 |
| Wyoming | Wyoming | $40,910 | $220,000 | 19% | 520 | 460 | 13% | 0.75 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | $44,030 | $229,900 | 19% | 1180 | 1050 | 12% | 0.75 |
| Washington DC | Washington DC | $68,850 | $479,800 | 14% | 8860 | 7620 | 16% | 0.73 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico | $42,500 | $199,900 | 21% | 1480 | 1360 | 9% | 0.71 |
| Alaska | Alaska | $56,720 | $249,000 | 23% | 600 | 560 | 7% | 0.71 |
| Delaware | Delaware | $51,910 | $249,000 | 21% | 1310 | 1220 | 7% | 0.67 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut | $52,520 | $265,000 | 20% | 4630 | 4270 | 8% | 0.67 |
| Vermont | Vermont | $42,110 | $229,900 | 18% | 650 | 610 | 7% | 0.59 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | $54,850 | $498,500 | 11% | 890 | 810 | 10% | 0.50 |
2006 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals
The 2006 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals indicated that $2,000 were paid on average as a bonus. In that survey, 62% of paralegals reported receiving annual bonuses.
The median overtime compensation was $3,922 per year. 76% of paralegals in law firms received overtime pay, while only 33% of paralegals in law departments reported overtime pay.
Private sector paralegals received an average pay of 10.4% more than those in the public sector. The difference in pay was primarily because paralegals in law firms worked more overtime.
The survey revealed that paralegals working in the intellectual property, patent, trademark practice earn the highest total cash compensation. The lowest paying practice in law firms is regulatory or utilities. The lowest paying positions in law departments is government or legislative.
2009 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals
According to the 2009 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals, paralegals working in law firms receive higher base compensation than law department peers. Also, within those law firms, the highest paid paralegals are litigation support/technology managers who receive a median annual base salary of $121,012 nationally.
| Years | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2004 | $43,830.00 |
| 2006 | $48,700.00 |
| 2008 | $51,270.00 |
| 2010 | $49,640.00 |
| 2012 | $50,220.00 |