Careers / Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Paralegals and Legal Assistants — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$62,890
United States, 2025
Employment
392,880
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 23-2011.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Direct and coordinate law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas.
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
- Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
- Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
- File pleadings with court clerks.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$44,740
25th percentile
$50,340
75th percentile
$80,080
90th percentile
$101,500
Most important skills
- Writing4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Time Management3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Paralegals and Legal AssistantsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $99,250 | 2,030 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $92,900 | 6,310 | 2025 |
| DC | $89,750 | 6,400 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $84,030 | 7,630 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $81,590 | 12,990 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $80,930 | 360 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $80,500 | 3,740 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $79,850 | 6,300 | 2025 |
| WA | $79,400 | 9,460 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $79,280 | 160 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $78,550 | 2,590 | 2025 |
| CO | $78,190 | 5,620 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $78,160 | 290 | 2025 |
| MA | $77,640 | 7,800 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $77,520 | 22,240 | 2025 |
| CA | $77,390 | 47,130 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $77,020 | 80 | 2025 |
| Parkersburg, WV | $76,400 | 200 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $76,300 | 4,440 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $76,220 | 5,990 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Paralegals and Legal Assistants to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.