Legal
Paralegals & Legal Assistants
SOC 23-2011
Do the research, drafting, and case prep that keep lawyers moving.
The job
Median pay
$63k
$50k to $80k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Declining
-0.3% projected
Openings a year
41k
BLS projection
Typical education
Associate's
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
3/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
78th pct
More exposed than 78% of occupations · modeled estimate · 15th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
46/100
Key skills
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 47,130 | 2.6 | 1.0× | $77k |
| Florida | 40,950 | 4.1 | 1.6× | $61k |
| New York | 34,220 | 3.5 | 1.4× | $68k |
| Texas | 29,540 | 2.1 | 0.8× | $62k |
| Pennsylvania | 14,670 | 2.4 | 1.0× | $63k |
| Georgia | 14,160 | 2.9 | 1.1× | $62k |
| Illinois | 14,130 | 2.3 | 0.9× | $64k |
| North Carolina | 13,650 | 2.8 | 1.1× | $58k |
| New Jersey | 12,010 | 2.8 | 1.1× | $72k |
| Virginia | 10,250 | 2.5 | 1.0× | $64k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 9,460 | 2.7 | 1.1× | $79k |
| Ohio | 9,270 | 1.7 | 0.7× | $60k |
| Arizona | 7,890 | 2.4 | 1.0× | $62k |
| Massachusetts | 7,800 | 2.1 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Michigan | 7,730 | 1.8 | 0.7× | $62k |
| South Carolina | 7,420 | 3.2 | 1.3× | $54k |
| Minnesota | 7,400 | 2.5 | 1.0× | $76k |
| Missouri | 7,130 | 2.4 | 1.0× | $61k |
| Maryland | 6,460 | 2.3 | 0.9× | $66k |
| Washington DC | 6,400 | 9.1 | 3.6× | $90k |
| Tennessee | 6,080 | 1.9 | 0.7× | $59k |
| Indiana | 5,910 | 1.8 | 0.7× | $57k |
| Alabama | 5,700 | 2.7 | 1.1× | $47k |
| Colorado | 5,620 | 2.0 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Connecticut | 5,210 | 3.1 | 1.2× | $64k |
| Louisiana | 4,890 | 2.5 | 1.0× | $60k |
| Oregon | 4,870 | 2.5 | 1.0× | $61k |
| Wisconsin | 4,780 | 1.6 | 0.6× | $59k |
| Nevada | 3,620 | 2.3 | 0.9× | $65k |
| Kentucky | 3,540 | 1.8 | 0.7× | $60k |
| Utah | 3,250 | 1.9 | 0.7× | $63k |
| Oklahoma | 3,110 | 1.8 | 0.7× | $53k |
| Iowa | 2,980 | 1.9 | 0.8× | $55k |
| Delaware | 2,480 | 5.1 | 2.0× | $63k |
| Mississippi | 2,270 | 2.0 | 0.8× | $46k |
| Kansas | 2,210 | 1.5 | 0.6× | $55k |
| Rhode Island | 2,070 | 4.1 | 1.6× | $56k |
| Idaho | 2,030 | 2.4 | 0.9× | $50k |
| New Mexico | 1,740 | 2.0 | 0.8× | $60k |
| West Virginia | 1,660 | 2.4 | 0.9× | $59k |
| Nebraska | 1,630 | 1.6 | 0.6× | $63k |
| Arkansas | 1,610 | 1.2 | 0.5× | $47k |
| New Hampshire | 1,430 | 2.1 | 0.8× | $62k |
| Maine | 1,210 | 1.9 | 0.8× | $62k |
| Hawaii | 1,170 | 1.9 | 0.7× | $63k |
| Montana | 1,010 | 2.0 | 0.8× | $57k |
| North Dakota | 730 | 1.7 | 0.7× | $59k |
| Vermont | 660 | 2.2 | 0.9× | $67k |
| South Dakota | 600 | 1.3 | 0.5× | $58k |
| Wyoming | 600 | 2.1 | 0.8× | $49k |
| Alaska | 570 | 1.8 | 0.7× | $69k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ33,850 jobs · $75k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA22,240 jobs · $78k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL17,820 jobs · $62k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV12,990 jobs · $82k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN11,590 jobs · $71k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD11,150 jobs · $70k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA10,290 jobs · $64k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX8,320 jobs · $63k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Paralegals & Legal Assistants interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.