23
Paralegals and Legal Assistants is a notable career in the 23 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Paralegals and Legal Assistants against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 23-2011 |
| title | Paralegals and Legal Assistants |
| onet code | 23-2011.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 23 |
| tot emp | 367,220 |
| a mean | 66,510 |
| a median | 61,010 |
| a pct10 | 39,710 |
| a pct25 | 48,190 |
| a pct75 | 78,280 |
| a pct90 | 98,990 |
| h mean | 31 |
| h median | 29 |
The day-to-day work of a paralegals and legal assistants typically centers on prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. 6 of these 8 tasks are Core O*NET duties; the remainder are common supplemental work. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Writing, Reading Comprehension, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.36 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working paralegals and legal assistants, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (36.9%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 57% of incumbents. Entry pathways are mixed; a meaningful minority enters without a four-year degree.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $99,300 and lowest in Mississippi at $39,120 — a 2.5× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, California) average $79,728. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99,300 | $96,200 | $59,930 | $128,100 | 5,880 |
| Washington | $78,010 | $83,930 | $50,500 | $115,120 | 9,070 |
| Massachusetts | $74,990 | $78,540 | $49,850 | $107,650 | 7,520 |
| Colorado | $73,380 | $76,570 | $48,840 | $106,080 | 5,430 |
| California | $72,960 | $76,920 | $48,000 | $105,350 | 45,740 |
| Minnesota | $67,320 | $71,560 | $44,800 | $98,480 | 6,640 |
| New York | $66,390 | $74,580 | $47,880 | $105,910 | 28,510 |
| Oregon | $63,970 | $70,210 | $47,840 | $99,780 | 4,910 |
| Maryland | $63,560 | $69,520 | $45,820 | $99,520 | 5,770 |
| Connecticut | $63,260 | $67,230 | $44,990 | $95,220 | 4,920 |
| Vermont | $63,000 | $62,360 | $47,490 | $79,440 | 730 |
| New Jersey | $62,790 | $69,010 | $44,540 | $98,360 | 11,720 |
| Illinois | $62,290 | $68,960 | $44,180 | $102,270 | 12,430 |
| Nevada | $62,090 | $59,740 | $27,040 | $78,760 | 3,490 |
| Michigan | $61,490 | $65,430 | $44,110 | $88,000 | 7,240 |
| Nebraska | $61,410 | $62,850 | $40,200 | $88,540 | 1,570 |
| Arizona | $61,220 | $66,150 | $43,480 | $97,070 | 6,780 |
| Virginia | $61,200 | $66,570 | $44,100 | $97,520 | 8,570 |
| Alaska | $61,120 | $66,560 | $45,840 | $95,410 | 690 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,950 | $65,920 | $40,620 | $94,990 | 14,130 |
| Hawaii | $60,890 | $64,210 | $48,690 | $83,890 | 1,170 |
| New Hampshire | $60,640 | $63,910 | $35,870 | $87,260 | 1,580 |
| Florida | $60,280 | $61,150 | $37,440 | $82,450 | 37,410 |
| Delaware | $60,000 | $66,460 | $47,490 | $97,800 | 2,220 |
| North Dakota | $59,910 | $59,800 | $41,870 | $77,160 | 610 |
| Texas | $59,700 | $62,650 | $37,850 | $96,530 | 28,770 |
| Ohio | $58,870 | $61,000 | $37,930 | $83,530 | 8,160 |
| Missouri | $58,730 | $60,260 | $37,400 | $84,610 | 6,410 |
| Maine | $58,510 | $58,450 | $38,130 | $78,000 | 1,260 |
| South Dakota | $57,300 | $59,790 | $47,020 | $84,150 | 660 |
| New Mexico | $56,620 | $58,620 | $44,050 | $77,570 | 1,660 |
| Wisconsin | $56,520 | $60,450 | $43,810 | $81,910 | 4,930 |
| Utah | $55,630 | $60,240 | $41,060 | $87,900 | 2,890 |
| Tennessee | $55,270 | $57,360 | $37,810 | $76,510 | 5,890 |
| Georgia | $55,120 | $62,400 | $36,770 | $92,500 | 14,480 |
| Rhode Island | $54,540 | $57,330 | $39,190 | $81,880 | 1,830 |
| Montana | $54,230 | $56,870 | $45,080 | $76,700 | 1,060 |
| Idaho | $54,020 | $54,380 | $29,000 | $74,610 | 2,250 |
| Iowa | $53,280 | $56,060 | $37,480 | $78,640 | 2,530 |
| Indiana | $50,690 | $60,220 | $40,070 | $93,930 | 5,970 |
| Oklahoma | $50,200 | $54,950 | $36,420 | $78,950 | 2,500 |
| Wyoming | $49,980 | $54,320 | $39,950 | $72,800 | 530 |
| West Virginia | $49,620 | $56,540 | $31,640 | $87,050 | 1,680 |
| North Carolina | $49,390 | $56,810 | $37,150 | $82,380 | 12,270 |
| Kentucky | $49,000 | $54,460 | $37,650 | $77,800 | 3,080 |
| Kansas | $48,910 | $54,310 | $37,110 | $80,240 | 2,330 |
| South Carolina | $48,640 | $51,550 | $35,570 | $67,950 | 7,260 |
| Louisiana | $47,580 | $52,380 | $31,460 | $77,200 | 4,960 |
| Arkansas | $46,940 | $62,540 | $34,740 | $77,330 | 1,400 |
| Alabama | $46,060 | $49,800 | $30,300 | $73,300 | 5,480 |
| Mississippi | $39,120 | $46,310 | $34,320 | $67,620 | 2,080 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for paralegals and legal assistants. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Certified Paralegal or Contract Preparer frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Paralegals and Legal Assistants compares to others in the 23 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Paralegals and Legal Assistants
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.