Salaries › Paralegal
Paralegal Salary by State (2026)
Paralegals (Paralegals and Legal Assistants) hold 392,910 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $65,349 per year, but the median ranges from $46,180 in Mississippi to $89,750 in District of Columbia. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Paralegal salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| District of Columbia | $89,750 | 6,400 |
| Washington | $79,400 | 9,460 |
| Colorado | $78,190 | 5,620 |
| Massachusetts | $77,640 | 7,800 |
| California | $77,390 | 47,130 |
| Minnesota | $75,570 | 7,400 |
| New Jersey | $71,500 | 12,010 |
| Alaska | $68,700 | 570 |
| New York | $68,410 | 34,220 |
| Vermont | $67,160 | 660 |
| Maryland | $65,640 | 6,460 |
| Nevada | $64,680 | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $63,990 | 10,250 |
| Connecticut | $63,820 | 5,210 |
| Illinois | $63,670 | 14,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,370 | 14,670 |
| Nebraska | $63,250 | 1,630 |
| Utah | $63,220 | 3,250 |
| Delaware | $63,110 | 2,480 |
| Hawaii | $62,840 | 1,170 |
| Maine | $62,420 | 1,210 |
| Georgia | $62,400 | 14,160 |
| Texas | $62,310 | 29,540 |
| Michigan | $62,170 | 7,730 |
| New Hampshire | $62,040 | 1,430 |
| Arizona | $61,630 | 7,890 |
| Oregon | $61,490 | 4,870 |
| Missouri | $61,410 | 7,130 |
| Florida | $61,000 | 40,950 |
| Ohio | $60,420 | 9,270 |
| Louisiana | $60,250 | 4,890 |
| New Mexico | $59,840 | 1,740 |
| Kentucky | $59,830 | 3,540 |
| North Dakota | $59,430 | 730 |
| West Virginia | $59,000 | 1,660 |
| Tennessee | $58,820 | 6,080 |
| Wisconsin | $58,500 | 4,780 |
| South Dakota | $58,320 | 600 |
| North Carolina | $57,500 | 13,650 |
| Montana | $57,290 | 1,010 |
| Indiana | $57,030 | 5,910 |
| Rhode Island | $56,250 | 2,070 |
| Kansas | $55,000 | 2,210 |
| Iowa | $54,550 | 2,980 |
| South Carolina | $53,880 | 7,420 |
| Oklahoma | $53,170 | 3,110 |
| Idaho | $49,690 | 2,030 |
| Wyoming | $49,490 | 600 |
| Arkansas | $47,420 | 1,610 |
| Alabama | $47,260 | 5,700 |
| Mississippi | $46,180 | 2,270 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Paralegal salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Paralegal salary in the US is about $65,349 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 392,910 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Paralegals the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median Paralegal salary at $89,750 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Paralegals the least?
- Mississippi has the lowest median at $46,180 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Paralegals and Legal Assistants, code 23-2011). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.