The average salary of a paralegal or a legal assistant varies greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, type and size of employer, and geographic location of the job.
In general, paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In 2000, full-time, wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings of $35,360. The middle 50 percent earned between $28,700 and $45,010. The top 10 percent earned more than $56,060, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $23,350. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals in 2000 were as follows:
Federal Government - $48,560
Legal Services - $34,230
Local Government - $34,120
State Government - $32,680
According to the National Association of Legal Assistants, paralegals had an average salary of $38,000 in 2000. In addition to a salary, many paralegals received a bonus, which averaged about $2,400. According to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, starting salaries of paralegals with 1 year or less experience averaged $38,100 in 1999.
