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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action. Excludes “Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants” (43-6012).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
329,870 1.1 % $26.45 $55,020 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.46 $18.99 $24.87 $31.54 $39.66
Annual Wage (2) $32,160 $39,500 $51,740 $65,610 $82,500


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 254,830 22.24 $25.44 $52,910
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 14,640 0.26 $26.54 $55,210
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 13,540 0.67 $33.67 $70,040
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,140 0.47 $23.54 $48,970
Management of Companies and Enterprises 7,010 0.28 $34.25 $71,250

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 254,830 22.24 $25.44 $52,910
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 180 0.81 $30.68 $63,810
Other Investment Pools and Funds 70 0.76 $28.61 $59,500
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 13,540 0.67 $33.67 $70,040
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,140 0.47 $23.54 $48,970

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Grantmaking and Giving Services 100 0.07 $43.80 $91,110
Natural Gas Distribution 80 0.07 $40.36 $83,950
Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 30 0.01 $39.68 $82,540
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 130 0.04 $39.38 $81,910
Other Information Services 220 0.07 $38.26 $79,580


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 35,040 2.02 0.90 $29.72 $61,810
Florida 30,850 3.51 1.56 $24.58 $51,130
New York 29,310 3.08 1.37 $27.92 $58,070
Texas 27,040 2.18 0.97 $26.17 $54,430
Illinois 13,980 2.32 1.03 $28.83 $59,960




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,810 8.02 3.57 $39.43 $82,010
Florida 30,850 3.51 1.56 $24.58 $51,130
Connecticut 5,160 3.10 1.38 $28.96 $60,240
New York 29,310 3.08 1.37 $27.92 $58,070
Delaware 1,350 2.99 1.33 $27.47 $57,140




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,810 8.02 3.57 $39.43 $82,010
Colorado 5,290 1.97 0.88 $29.93 $62,250
California 35,040 2.02 0.90 $29.72 $61,810
Massachusetts 6,840 1.89 0.84 $29.64 $61,650
Washington 6,880 2.07 0.92 $29.25 $60,840





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 29,030 3.01 1.34 $29.05 $60,430
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 16,870 2.70 1.20 $27.39 $56,960
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 12,550 3.95 1.76 $33.67 $70,030
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 12,180 2.60 1.16 $29.18 $60,690
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 12,030 4.55 2.03 $27.19 $56,560
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 9,210 3.20 1.43 $27.95 $58,130
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 8,460 3.08 1.37 $27.19 $56,560
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,940 2.17 0.97 $30.14 $62,690
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,810 2.35 1.05 $34.31 $71,360
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 5,780 2.73 1.21 $25.30 $52,620




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Columbia, SC 1,890 4.95 2.20 $22.68 $47,180
New Bern, NC 210 4.86 2.16 $20.20 $42,010
Charleston, WV 520 4.69 2.09 $25.80 $53,660
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 12,030 4.55 2.03 $27.19 $56,560
Tallahassee, FL 790 4.51 2.01 $21.72 $45,180
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 2,500 4.27 1.90 $28.71 $59,710
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 5,510 4.13 1.84 $23.07 $47,980
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 450 3.96 1.76 $26.36 $54,820
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 12,550 3.95 1.76 $33.67 $70,030
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 2,200 3.94 1.75 $27.68 $57,570




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,650 1.44 0.64 $41.68 $86,690
Napa, CA 50 0.61 0.27 $38.38 $79,840
Trenton, NJ 580 2.42 1.08 $34.84 $72,480
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,810 2.35 1.05 $34.31 $71,360
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 12,550 3.95 1.76 $33.67 $70,030
Santa Rosa, CA 360 1.71 0.76 $32.84 $68,310
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2,640 1.76 0.78 $32.26 $67,110
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 1,110 2.68 1.19 $31.72 $65,970
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 80 0.55 0.25 $31.62 $65,780
Boulder, CO 360 1.93 0.86 $31.48 $65,490

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 490 1.23 0.55 $15.05 $31,300
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 430 1.65 0.74 $17.67 $36,760
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 330 1.84 0.82 $16.97 $35,310
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 300 2.18 0.97 $22.39 $46,570
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 300 1.19 0.53 $18.46 $38,390

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 260 2.79 1.24 $18.56 $38,600
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 90 2.68 1.19 $25.84 $53,740
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 170 2.40 1.07 $24.47 $50,910
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 230 2.40 1.07 $28.30 $58,860
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 300 2.18 0.97 $22.39 $46,570

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 100 0.92 0.41 $29.57 $61,510
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 100 0.77 0.34 $29.53 $61,410
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 230 2.40 1.07 $28.30 $58,860
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 0.85 0.38 $27.64 $57,490
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 130 1.24 0.55 $27.13 $56,430


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020