Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay in the United States
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Where the money actually goes furthest
District of Columbia pays the most both before and after cost of living — $89,750, worth $81,665 once local prices are counted.
Pay by state
54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.
Adjusted for what things cost in that state.
| State | Hourly | Annual | Worth locally | After state tax | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $43.15/hr | $89,750 | $81,665 | $84,962 | 6,400 |
| Minnesota | $36.33/hr | $75,570 | $76,627 | $71,894 | 7,400 |
| Colorado | $37.59/hr | $78,190 | $75,875 | $75,487 | 5,620 |
| Washington | $38.17/hr | $79,400 | $74,198 | $79,400 | 9,460 |
| Massachusetts | $37.33/hr | $77,640 | $73,411 | $73,758 | 7,800 |
| Nebraska | $30.41/hr | $63,250 | $70,199 | $60,870 | 1,630 |
| California | $37.21/hr | $77,390 | $69,897 | $74,165 | 47,130 |
| Vermont | $32.29/hr | $67,160 | $68,558 | $64,664 | 660 |
| Louisiana | $28.97/hr | $60,250 | $68,302 | $58,817 | 4,890 |
| Missouri | $29.52/hr | $61,410 | $67,617 | $59,380 | 7,130 |
| Alaska | $33.03/hr | $68,700 | $67,116 | $68,700 | 570 |
| North Dakota | $28.57/hr | $59,430 | $66,805 | $59,430 | 730 |
| Kentucky | $28.76/hr | $59,830 | $66,359 | $57,563 | 3,540 |
| West Virginia | $28.37/hr | $59,000 | $65,921 | $56,990 | 1,660 |
| South Dakota | $28.04/hr | $58,320 | $65,831 | $58,320 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $34.38/hr | $71,500 | $65,710 | $69,042 | 12,010 |
| Ohio | $29.05/hr | $60,420 | $65,128 | $59,474 | 9,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $30.47/hr | $63,370 | $64,948 | $61,424 | 14,670 |
| New Mexico | $28.77/hr | $59,840 | $64,895 | $58,020 | 1,740 |
| Georgia | $30.00/hr | $62,400 | $64,804 | $59,784 | 14,160 |
| Nevada | $31.10/hr | $64,680 | $64,692 | $64,680 | 3,620 |
| Michigan | $29.89/hr | $62,170 | $64,612 | $59,765 | 7,730 |
| Maine | $30.01/hr | $62,420 | $64,317 | $59,446 | 1,210 |
| Texas | $29.96/hr | $62,310 | $64,197 | $62,310 | 29,540 |
| Tennessee | $28.28/hr | $58,820 | $64,025 | $58,820 | 6,080 |
| Utah | $30.40/hr | $63,220 | $63,949 | $60,343 | 3,250 |
| Illinois | $30.61/hr | $63,670 | $63,695 | $60,655 | 14,130 |
| New York | $32.89/hr | $68,410 | $63,389 | $65,252 | 34,220 |
| Virginia | $30.77/hr | $63,990 | $63,293 | $61,056 | 10,250 |
| Delaware | $30.34/hr | $63,110 | $63,230 | $60,174 | 2,480 |
| Maryland | $31.56/hr | $65,640 | $62,538 | $62,702 | 6,460 |
| Wisconsin | $28.12/hr | $58,500 | $62,167 | $56,497 | 4,780 |
| Iowa | $26.23/hr | $54,550 | $62,158 | $53,031 | 2,980 |
| Connecticut | $30.68/hr | $63,820 | $61,596 | $61,059 | 5,210 |
| Arizona | $29.63/hr | $61,630 | $61,213 | $60,454 | 7,890 |
| Indiana | $27.42/hr | $57,030 | $61,105 | $55,349 | 5,910 |
| Kansas | $26.44/hr | $55,000 | $61,063 | $52,219 | 2,210 |
| North Carolina | $27.64/hr | $57,500 | $60,956 | $55,598 | 13,650 |
| Oklahoma | $25.56/hr | $53,170 | $60,530 | $51,134 | 3,110 |
| Montana | $27.54/hr | $57,290 | $60,528 | $55,024 | 1,010 |
| New Hampshire | $29.83/hr | $62,040 | $59,556 | $62,040 | 1,430 |
| Oregon | $29.56/hr | $61,490 | $59,491 | $56,650 | 4,870 |
| Florida | $29.33/hr | $61,000 | $58,988 | $61,000 | 40,950 |
| South Carolina | $25.90/hr | $53,880 | $57,472 | $52,122 | 7,420 |
| Hawaii | $30.21/hr | $62,840 | $57,153 | $59,507 | 1,170 |
| Rhode Island | $27.04/hr | $56,250 | $54,996 | $54,536 | 2,070 |
| Arkansas | $22.80/hr | $47,420 | $54,543 | $45,747 | 1,610 |
| Wyoming | $23.80/hr | $49,490 | $53,393 | $49,490 | 600 |
| Alabama | $22.72/hr | $47,260 | $53,208 | $45,087 | 5,700 |
| Mississippi | $22.20/hr | $46,180 | $53,110 | $44,249 | 2,270 |
| Idaho | $23.89/hr | $49,690 | $52,036 | $47,830 | 2,030 |
| Virgin Islands | $25.07/hr | $52,140 | Not published | Not published | 90 |
| Puerto Rico | $18.64/hr | $38,770 | Not published | Not published | 1,110 |
| Guam | $18.23/hr | $37,920 | Not published | Not published | 110 |
National median for comparison: $62,890. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.
$30.24/hr an hour, national median
Across the states
25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state
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