Paralegals and Legal Assistants Career, Salary and Skills
Paralegals and Legal Assistants have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $62,890 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 392,880. Wage data is published for 430 locations.
Occupation 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.
O*NET code
23-2011.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$62,890
Hourly median
$30.24
Employment
392,880
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.00 | 3.00 |
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.
Technology
- a la mode WinTOTAL
- AbacusNext HotDocs
- Adobe Acrobat
- American LegalNet USCourtForms
- Appligent Citation FDFMerge
- Blumbeg Drafting Libraries
- Bowne JFS Litigator's Notebook
- Bridgeway eCounsel
- Case analysis software
- CaseSoft DepPrep
- CaseSoft TextMap
- CaseSoft TimeMap
- Computer access catalog software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in CAMedian $77,390 · Employment 47,130
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in FLMedian $61,000 · Employment 40,950
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in NYMedian $68,410 · Employment 34,220
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in New York, NYMedian $75,330 · Employment 33,850
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in TXMedian $62,310 · Employment 29,540
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $77,520 · Employment 22,240
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in Miami, FLMedian $62,090 · Employment 17,820
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in PAMedian $63,370 · Employment 14,670
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in GAMedian $62,400 · Employment 14,160
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in ILMedian $63,670 · Employment 14,130
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in NCMedian $57,500 · Employment 13,650
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in Washington, DCMedian $81,590 · Employment 12,990
Related careers
- File ClerksNational median $43,600
- Social Science Research AssistantsNational median $61,990
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and InvestigatorsNational median $78,000
- Accountants and AuditorsNational median $83,680
- Compliance OfficersNational median $80,730
- Private Detectives and InvestigatorsNational median $51,220
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing OfficersNational median $117,860
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsNational median $75,530
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.