Where do legal assistants make the most money?

Asked by: Liana Connelly  |  Last update: June 28, 2025
Score: 5/5 (23 votes)

Highest paying cities for Legal Assistants near United States
  • Los Angeles, CA. $26.39 per hour. 477 salaries reported.
  • Miami, FL. $26.06 per hour. 234 salaries reported.
  • New York, NY. $25.43 per hour. 436 salaries reported.
  • Atlanta, GA. $22.33 per hour. 148 salaries reported.
  • Tampa, FL. $21.99 per hour. 266 salaries reported.

In what state do legal assistants make the most money?

Geographic area can also have a major impact on salary. According to the BLS, the states with the highest average annual salaries for paralegals in 2022 were Washington DC at $91,880, California at $76,080, Washington at $72,590, Massachusetts at $71,670, and New York at $69,860.

What is the highest salary for a legal assistant?

Highest paying cities for Legal Assistants near California
  • San Francisco, CA. $33.14 per hour. 165 salaries reported.
  • San Francisco Bay Area, CA. $30.15 per hour. 5 salaries reported.
  • Oakland, CA. $29.69 per hour. 40 salaries reported.
  • Irvine, CA. $26.69 per hour. 119 salaries reported.
  • Los Angeles, CA. $26.33 per hour.

What area of law do paralegals make the most money?

Paralegals with expertise in high-demand practice areas such as intellectual property, corporate law, real estate, or healthcare law often earn higher salaries. Specializing in a niche area can make a paralegal more valuable to employers.

Which legal field makes the most money?

Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers
  • Patent attorney: $180,000.
  • Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
  • Trial lawyer: $134,000.
  • Tax attorney: $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Medical lawyer: $113,000.
  • Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
  • Family lawyer: $93,000.

How Much Do Paralegals and Legal Assistants Make?

27 related questions found

What field of law is most in demand?

Which Legal Fields Are in Demand?
  • Intellectual property law. ...
  • Family law. ...
  • Immigration & naturalization law. ...
  • Real estate law. ...
  • Contract management. ...
  • Compliance. ...
  • Labor and employment. ...
  • Corporate transactions. Also known as mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, this work navigates the buying and selling of companies and their assets.

What is the highest paid job in law?

As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:
  • Patent Attorneys.
  • Intellectual property (IP) Attorneys.
  • Trial Lawyers.
  • Tax Attorneys.
  • Corporate Lawyers.

Do legal secretaries or paralegals make more money?

Since paralegals complete more education to qualify for their roles, they tend to earn more. The average annual salary for a legal assistant is $52,530 per year , while paralegals earn $43,494 per year . Paralegals who hold a paralegal certificate can also potentially earn a higher salary.

Can you make a good living as a paralegal?

Overall, the best-paying states are D.C., California, Washington, Massachusetts, and New York, though of course paralegals are also in high demand in cities with lower costs of living.

Do paralegals make less than lawyers?

The national average salary for a paralegal is $55,060 per year . This position is often an entry-level role for those who aspire to become lawyers. The national average salary for a lawyer is $99,022 per year . For both paralegals and lawyers, their salaries can differ based on their location, employer and experience.

Is legal assistant a good career choice?

Working as a legal assistant is a great way to get started in the legal field without going to law school. It can be a challenging and rewarding career that offers opportunities for growth and advancement.

What is the highest paid assistant job?

Top 10 Highest Paying Administrative Jobs in the United States in 2024
  1. Executive Assistant to CEO. ...
  2. Legal Administrative Assistant. ...
  3. Human Resources (HR) Administrator. ...
  4. Medical Office Administrator. ...
  5. Grant Administrator. ...
  6. Investment Operations Associate. ...
  7. Operations Manager. ...
  8. Contracts Administrator.

What is the life of a legal assistant?

Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, support lawyers by organizing legal documents, conducting research, and assisting during trials and hearings. They help gather case information and ensure the thorough organization of facts and paperwork, aiding lawyers in trial preparation.

How old are most legal assistants?

Paralegals are everywhere. More than 345,000 paralegals and legal assistants are employed in the United States, with a workforce that is 83% female and median age of 43.9 years.

Which department of law makes the most money?

Highest Paid Lawyers Around the World
  • Corporate Lawyers. Corporate law relates to the regulation of corporations, including their formation, management, and winding up. ...
  • Tax Attorneys. ...
  • Trial Lawyers. ...
  • Intellectual Property Lawyers. ...
  • Medical Lawyers. ...
  • Real Estate Attorneys. ...
  • Immigration Lawyers. ...
  • Admiralty (Maritime) Lawyers.

What is the career path for a legal assistant?

A legal assistant is often times the first step in a professionals career path journey. Common career paths are as follows: Legal assistant > legal secretary > office manager > operations manager > partner. Legal assistant > legal secretary > office manager > operations manager.

What is the difference between a legal assistant and a paralegal?

Summary. Broadly speaking, a legal assistant, or litigation assistant, usually performs administrative duties as well as legal tasks while a paralegal focuses more on legal duties and research to assist lawyers. Both positions require an understanding of legal terminology and procedures.

Which paralegal field makes the most money?

30 Highest-Paying Paralegal Jobs
  1. Paralegal Manager. $104,775. ...
  2. Legal Project Manager. $87,375. ...
  3. Intellectual Property Paralegal. $86,800. ...
  4. Nurse Paralegal. $82,687. ...
  5. Employment and Labor Law Paralegal. $80,685. ...
  6. Government Paralegal. $78,478. ...
  7. Senior Paralegal. $69,995. ...
  8. Corporate Paralegal. $66,134.

What are the cons of being a paralegal?

Paralegals enjoy job stability, good salaries, varied work, and opportunities for career growth. However, they also work long hours, experience high levels of stress, have limited job autonomy and growth potential, and have limited legal knowledge compared to attorneys.

What is the most a legal assistant can make?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $79,736 and as low as $29,093, the majority of Legal Assistant salaries currently range between $40,900 (25th percentile) to $59,300 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $71,654 annually in Los Angeles.

Do legal secretaries go to law school?

While completing formal training is voluntary, some law firms prefer legal secretaries who have completed a degree program or postsecondary certificate. Legal secretary programs may focus on legal research, billing procedures, state and federal court systems, court filings and law office procedures.

Which legal profession pays the most?

What are the highest-paid types of lawyers? The highest-paid lawyers typically specialize in fields such as corporate law, intellectual property, tax law, medical malpractice, and entertainment law. These areas command higher salaries due to the complexity, demand, and financial stakes involved.

What is the lowest paying law job?

We find that within the legal industry, certain segments are known to offer lower compensation. Typically, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers working for nonprofit organizations are among the lowest paid.

What is the most profitable law to practice?

Top 6 Most Profitable Practice Areas of Law
  • Cybersecurity Attorney. Digital privacy, internet access, and inalienable rights are just a few of the concerns that interest lawyers who have expertise in cybersecurity. ...
  • Health Lawyers. ...
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer. ...
  • Judge. ...
  • Law School Professors. ...
  • Tax Attorneys.

Can lawyers make 200k a year?

Lawyers' salaries depend on the type of law they practice, the state they reside in, and where they are in their careers. In major cities, entry-level jobs can be as high as $200, 000 per year, while the average lawyer salary across the country is $197,000 per year.