Paralegals & legal assistants

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2021 Workforce

431k

Average Age

43.3

Estimated Job Growth

10.4%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$56,217

Average Male Salary

$61,186

Average Female Salary

$55,312

About

Paralegals & legal assistants are most often employed by the Legal services industry. The average yearly wage for Paralegals & legal assistants was $56,217 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Paralegals & legal assistants are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, West Des Moines & Urbandale Cities PUMA, IA, and West Town, Near West Side & Lower West Side PUMA, IL. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Paralegals & legal assistants are South Miami City, Westchester & Coral Terrace PUMA, FL, District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, and Cobb County (Northeast) PUMA, GA.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations Legal Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Paralegals & legal assistants workforce. Paralegals & legal assistants workforce in 2021 was 430,922 people, of which 84.6% were women and 15.4% were men. Paralegals & legal assistants are paid most in Mobile City (East) PUMA, AL but are relatively concentrated in South Miami City, Westchester & Coral Terrace PUMA, FL.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

66,420

Male Workforce

± 6.33k

364,502

Female Workforce

± 14.8k

The Paralegals & legal assistants workforce in 2021 was 430,922 people (84.6% women and 15.4% men). This implies an average annual growth of 13.9% between 2014 (378,341) and 2021 (430,922).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Paralegals & legal assistants.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($79,447), Delaware ($71,343), and Maryland ($67,070).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$56,217

AVERAGE WAGE

#240 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Paralegals & legal assistants earned an average of $56,217, $3,378 less than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Paralegals & legal assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.328

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Paralegals & legal assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.328, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Paralegals & legal assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Paralegals & legal assistants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Paralegals & legal assistants and on wages for those in the field. Legal services is the industry that employs the most Paralegals & legal assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Paralegals & legal assistants, by average wage, is Bus service & urban transit ($208,901).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

431k

2021 Workforce

± 16,093

2.71%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 5.18%

This graphic shows the share of Paralegals & legal assistants employed by various industries. Legal services employs the largest share of Paralegals & legal assistants at 92.4%, followed by Justice, public order, & safety activities with 6.12% and Insurance carriers with 1.52%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Paralegals & legal assistants in the US. The workforce of Paralegals & legal assistants in 2021 was 430,922 people, with 84.6% woman, and 15.4% men. The average age of male Paralegals & legal assistants in the workforce is 38.6 and of female Paralegals & legal assistants is 44.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Paralegals & legal assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Paralegals & legal assistants in 2021 was 430,922 people, with 84.6% woman, and 15.4% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (52,276 people), 30 to 34 years (49,055 people), and 50 to 54 years (48,482 people). Among them they concentrated 34.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 17.3% of Paralegals & legal assistants workers were Hispanic and 82.7% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (71.4%), Puerto Rican (16.8)%, and Cuban (11.8)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2021, 74.8% of the Paralegals & legal assistants workforce were White, of which 86.2% were women and 13.8% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (9.38%) and Two or More Races (6.9%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Paralegals & legal assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Paralegals & legal assistants is Social Sciences but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Legal.

Among the necessary skills for Paralegals & legal assistants, Reading Comprehension stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Paralegals & legal assistants need more than the average amount of Writing.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Paralegals & legal assistants in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Social Sciences (39,006 people), Business (34,966 people), and Protective Services (17,736 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Paralegals & legal assistants workers were Bachelors Degree (165,848 people), Some college (98,391 people), and Associates Degree (78,055 people).

The graphic shows the Paralegals & legal assistants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Paralegals & legal assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Paralegals & legal assistants need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Paralegals and Legal Assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Paralegals and Legal Assistants are expected to see a growth of 10.4% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Paralegals and Legal Assistants.

10.4%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Paralegals & legal assistants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.