Employment of paralegals is expected to grow much faster than the average for most jobs, adding ... [+] 39,000 new positions from 2018 to 2028.
GettyThere is a ton of paperwork and fact-checking that needs to be done in a law office on a daily basis. That’s where paralegals and legal assistants come up big. Paralegals assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents and researching legal precedent, among many other tasks. Being a paralegal has been a popular job in the United States, especially as part of a road toward becoming a lawyer. Employment numbers have been increasing for paralegals and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of paralegals is projected to increase much faster than average, with approximately 39,000 paralegal jobs being added from 2018 to 2028, an increase of 12%.
Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we've analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average paralegal salary by state in the U.S. Read on for a full breakdown of where paralegals make the most money, and where they're making the least.
10 States Where Paralegals Earn the Most Money
The national average annual wage of a paralegal is $54,500, according to the BLS, which is slightly more than the average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. In some states, you can earn a bit more than $54,500 as a paralegal, but you’ve got to pick the right state. Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for paralegals.
- Connecticut average paralegal salary: $62,760
- California average paralegal salary: $61,240
- Washington average paralegal salary: $60,940
- Massachusetts average paralegal salary: $60,320
- Alaska average paralegal salary: $59,140
- New York average paralegal salary: $58,750
- Colorado average paralegal salary: $58,350
- New Jersey average paralegal salary: $58,260
- Nevada average paralegal salary: $57,600
- Delaware average paralegal salary: $57,290
Connecticut boasts the highest average paralegal salary in the U.S. What’s more, Connecticut’s wage growth over the last five years has been very impressive. The average paralegal salary rose from $53,230 in 2013 to $62,760 in 2018, an increase of 17.9% and the second-largest growth rate in the country, behind Louisiana. In No. 2 California, on the other hand, paralegal wages have stalled, only growing by 2% over the last five years. In Alaska and New Jersey, salaries outright declined since 2013.
10 States Where Paralegals Earn the Least Money
The bottom-10 states where paralegals make the least money are a geographically mainly located in the U.S. South and Midwest. In the worst-paying state for paralegals, Arkansas, the average salary is nearly $12,500 less than the U.S. average salary for paralegals. Here’s a look at the 10 worst states for paralegal’s salaries:
- Arkansas average paralegal salary: $42,050
- Kansas average paralegal salary: $43,790
- Mississippi average paralegal salary: $44,300
- Montana average paralegal salary: $44,330
- South Carolina average paralegal salary: $45,480
- Alabama average paralegal salary: $45,530
- North Dakota average paralegal salary: $45,870
- West Virginia average paralegal salary: $46,080
- Kentucky average paralegal salary: $46,130
- Idaho average paralegal salary: $46,510
Unfortunately for these states, wage growth has been weak as well. In seven of these 10 states, the growth in average paralegal salaries was less than 10% from 2013 to 2018. In Alabama, the average paralegal salary increased by only $20 since 2013.
How Much Do Paralegals Make in Each State
Below you’ll find the average annual wage for paralegals in all 50 states from 2013 to 2018. Five states have experienced absolute declines in their average paralegal salaries: New Jersey, Alaska, Oregon, Hawaii and Pennsylvania. On the other hand, seven states have experienced wage growth in excess of 15% over the last five years.
Forbes recently posted an article about paralegal jobs and what the average salary looks like. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average salary across the country for paralegals is $48, 790. This is a considerable salary considering that all you need to get started is only a two-year associate degree. However, this number can be a bit deceiving. This is the average salary amongst ALL paralegals, including those in higher-paying states as well as amongst those who have been in their profession for 10 years or more.
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For those coming right out of school, $40,000 a year is on the high side. This kind of salary is hard to get for the average paralegal. Even the jobs that are paying $25,000 are met with experienced paralegals and maybe even some unemployed attorneys who are looking for a job.
That being said, there are 10 high-paying paralegal jobs that you can try and pursue. These are all well over the $40,000 estimated as the “high side” by Forbes. In order to get these, you need to be at the top of your game and be able to offer employers something more than just a two-year degree. Maybe you offer an advanced degree or you offer years of experience.
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1. Senior Paralegal at Allianz Global Investors
2. Case Manager at Fish & Richardson
3. Paralegal at Altria
4. Paralegal with Microsoft
5. Paralegal with DLA Piper
6. San Francisco Paralegal
7. San Jose Paralegal
8. Washington DC Paralegal
9. Paralegal at Perkins Coie
10. Flint Paralegal
There’s proof that you don’t have to settle for a salary of $40,000 or even less when you become a paralegal. There are companies that pay higher and areas of the country known for paying more than what the rest of the country pays. If you want to earn a higher salary, it is up to you to make the most of your career.
As cited earlier, there are some companies that go right to how much a person has in terms of education. A two-year degree is the minimum level of education that you need to become a paralegal. If you want to work for one of the companies that are known for paying higher because of how well-known they and their clients are, you have to consider spending longer in school to get a more advanced degree.
You will not be the only paralegal applying for open jobs. This means that you have to offer an employer more than what the competition has to offer. When you consider that you may be up against lawyers who are looking for a change of pace or who are out of work, you have to consider the type of degree that you have. Spending two years in school may be sufficient to get started, but when you are ready to access the higher-end jobs, it may not be your experience standing in the way – it may be as simple as you not having the necessary degree to access those jobs.
From looking at the different areas of the country to the different employers around the country, you can seek out a higher job. Work on updating your resume with all of your current information and then work toward becoming employed for a company that pays a higher salary than what the national median salary is.
Remember that the higher-paying jobs require you to take on more responsibilities. You may not just be working as a paralegal. You may be a senior paralegal or even a case manager. In some instances, you may even be responsible for working with the interns to ensure that they are learning about the law firm.
Once you are hired by a great company, it is up to you to work hard and prove that you are capable of meeting the demands of the job – and this can potentially earn you a higher salary when your review rolls around.
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