Sort by any column. Employment is the number of paralegals and legal assistants OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Paralegal Salary by State (2026)
Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn the most in District of Columbia at $89,750 a year and the least in Guam at $37,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $62,890. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $89,750
- National median
- $62,890
- Lowest median
- $37,920
- States reporting
- 54
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Guam
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- 1. District of Columbia$89,750 median · $81,664 adjusted · 6,400 employed
- 2. Washington$79,400 median · $74,197 adjusted · 9,460 employed
- 3. Colorado$78,190 median · $75,874 adjusted · 5,620 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$77,640 median · $73,414 adjusted · 7,800 employed
- 5. California$77,390 median · $69,897 adjusted · 47,130 employed
Lowest-paying states for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- 54. Guam$37,920 median · no price parity · 110 employed
- 53. Puerto Rico$38,770 median · no price parity · 1,110 employed
- 52. Mississippi$46,180 median · $53,109 adjusted · 2,270 employed
- 51. Alabama$47,260 median · $53,207 adjusted · 5,700 employed
- 50. Arkansas$47,420 median · $54,545 adjusted · 1,610 employed
Paralegal salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,750 | $72,240 | $114,920 | 6,400 | $81,664 |
| 2 | Washington | $79,400 | $62,670 | $100,960 | 9,460 | $74,197 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,190 | $62,560 | $95,070 | 5,620 | $75,874 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,640 | $62,580 | $96,820 | 7,800 | $73,414 |
| 5 | California | $77,390 | $60,170 | $98,430 | 47,130 | $69,897 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $75,570 | $56,230 | $83,420 | 7,400 | $76,627 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $71,500 | $60,040 | $80,920 | 12,010 | $65,714 |
| 8 | Alaska | $68,700 | $61,100 | $84,880 | 570 | $67,117 |
| 9 | New York | $68,410 | $57,430 | $94,200 | 34,220 | $63,389 |
| 10 | Vermont | $67,160 | $58,530 | $78,620 | 660 | $68,560 |
| 11 | Maryland | $65,640 | $51,660 | $84,700 | 6,460 | $62,539 |
| 12 | Nevada | $64,680 | $55,410 | $76,980 | 3,620 | $64,694 |
| 13 | Virginia | $63,990 | $56,050 | $81,590 | 10,250 | $63,291 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $63,820 | $50,180 | $80,580 | 5,210 | $61,596 |
| 15 | Illinois | $63,670 | $56,160 | $81,970 | 14,130 | $63,697 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $63,370 | $50,710 | $78,980 | 14,670 | $64,947 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $63,250 | $49,390 | $73,940 | 1,630 | $70,197 |
| 18 | Utah | $63,220 | $48,790 | $80,160 | 3,250 | $63,946 |
| 19 | Delaware | $63,110 | $55,190 | $78,360 | 2,480 | $63,231 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $62,840 | $52,670 | $75,120 | 1,170 | $57,153 |
| 21 | Maine | $62,420 | $57,840 | $71,500 | 1,210 | $64,317 |
| 22 | Georgia | $62,400 | $48,940 | $81,120 | 14,160 | $64,802 |
| 23 | Texas | $62,310 | $47,410 | $77,740 | 29,540 | $64,199 |
| 24 | Michigan | $62,170 | $51,280 | $76,820 | 7,730 | $64,614 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $62,040 | $53,540 | $77,040 | 1,430 | $59,559 |
| 26 | Arizona | $61,630 | $48,840 | $79,250 | 7,890 | $61,216 |
| 27 | Oregon | $61,490 | $55,490 | $80,950 | 4,870 | $59,491 |
| 28 | Missouri | $61,410 | $47,520 | $75,980 | 7,130 | $67,619 |
| 29 | Florida | $61,000 | $48,230 | $75,780 | 40,950 | $58,986 |
| 30 | Ohio | $60,420 | $49,500 | $77,360 | 9,270 | $65,126 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $60,250 | $47,520 | $72,790 | 4,890 | $68,305 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $59,840 | $48,130 | $72,520 | 1,740 | $64,894 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $59,830 | $47,220 | $70,920 | 3,540 | $66,361 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $59,430 | $49,290 | $66,120 | 730 | $66,806 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $59,000 | $41,410 | $78,360 | 1,660 | $65,924 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $58,820 | $47,270 | $67,470 | 6,080 | $64,025 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $58,500 | $47,690 | $71,130 | 4,780 | $62,171 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $58,320 | $53,730 | $67,200 | 600 | $65,834 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $57,500 | $47,640 | $71,930 | 13,650 | $60,959 |
| 40 | Montana | $57,290 | $48,560 | $66,960 | 1,010 | $60,531 |
| 41 | Indiana | $57,030 | $46,870 | $74,240 | 5,910 | $61,106 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $56,250 | $44,860 | $66,120 | 2,070 | $54,996 |
| 43 | Kansas | $55,000 | $47,000 | $64,170 | 2,210 | $61,065 |
| 44 | Iowa | $54,550 | $47,820 | $66,560 | 2,980 | $62,157 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $53,880 | $46,630 | $61,620 | 7,420 | $57,473 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $53,170 | $40,330 | $61,840 | 3,110 | $60,528 |
| 47 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $52,140 | $51,510 | $63,790 | 90 | N/A |
| 48 | Idaho | $49,690 | $43,990 | $62,540 | 2,030 | $52,035 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $49,490 | $47,390 | $56,420 | 600 | $53,392 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $47,420 | $43,670 | $61,880 | 1,610 | $54,545 |
| 51 | Alabama | $47,260 | $38,150 | $63,490 | 5,700 | $53,207 |
| 52 | Mississippi | $46,180 | $36,900 | $58,790 | 2,270 | $53,109 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $38,770 | $35,780 | $47,150 | 1,110 | N/A |
| 54 | Guam | $37,920 | $30,700 | $51,380 | 110 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Paralegals and Legal Assistants, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $89,750, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $81,664.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Paralegal pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Paralegals and Legal Assistants the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants at $89,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($79,400) and Colorado ($78,190).
Which state pays Paralegals and Legal Assistants the least?
Guam reports the lowest median for Paralegals and Legal Assistants at $37,920 a year, $51,830 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $81,664 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $89,750. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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