Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of legal assistants that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of legal assistants:
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Real Estate Paralegal is the highest-paid type of legal assistant with an average salary of $68,387 and an average hourly rate of $32.88.
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The second highest-paying type of legal assistant is corporate paralegal, with an average salary of $67,515.
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The average legal assistant salary is $42,387 per year, and the average hourly pay is $20.38.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as a legal assistant, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of legal assistants are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of legal assistants:
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Real Estate Paralegal
Average Salary: $68,387
A Real Estate Paralegal helps real estate lawyers with a variety of tasks, such as offering advice to clients, doing research, and preparing documents. They collaborate with landlords, housing managers, or other real estate personnel.
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Corporate Paralegal
Average Salary: $67,515
A Corporate Paralegal helps attorneys gather information and materials in preparation for different kinds of cases, hearings, or meetings. They also work in the legal departments of large corporations and for government agencies.
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Contractor-Paralegal
Average Salary: $60,686
A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.
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Senior Paralegal
Average Salary: $60,125
A Senior Paralegal helps attorneys acquire the information needed for legal research, document preparation, and for other assignments delegated to them. They are usually specialized in certain areas of law, such as tax law.
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Litigation Paralegal
Average Salary: $58,484
A litigation paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various legal assistant that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Legal Assistants
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Estate Paralegal | |
| 2 | Corporate Paralegal | |
| 3 | Contractor-Paralegal | |
| 4 | Senior Paralegal | |
| 5 | Litigation Paralegal | |
| 6 | Law Clerk | |
| 7 | Litigation Assistant | |
| 8 | Executive Legal Assistant | |
| 9 | Paralegal Internship | |
| 10 | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| 11 | Senior Legal Assistant | |
| 12 | Paralegal | |
| 13 | Legal Extern | |
| 14 | Legal Administrator | |
| 15 | Summer Associate | |
| 16 | Legal Secretary | |
| 17 | Law Internship | |
| 18 | Assistant | |
| 19 | Legal Clerk | |
| 20 | Legal Office Assistant |
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for legal assistants.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Legal Assistant Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid legal assistant job?
The highest-paid legal assistant job is a real estate paralegal. Real Estate Paralegals earn an average salary of $68,387, which is $ 32.88 hourly.
A Real Estate Paralegal helps real estate lawyers with a variety of tasks, such as offering advice to clients, doing research, and preparing documents. They collaborate with landlords, housing managers, or other real estate personnel.
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What is a good salary for a legal assistant?
A good salary for a legal assistant is $42,387 or more. The average legal assistant salary is $42,387, so those making at least $42,387 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average legal assistant salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as a legal assistant, the average entry level salary is $30,263, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $42,387 average, as this includes all legal assistants of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Legal Assistant jobs pay well?
No, legal assistant jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some legal assistant jobs pay better than others, but the average legal assistant salary of $42,387 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many legal assistant jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of legal assistants earning $42,648 a year on average.
Legal Assistants’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as a legal assistant. Do your research on the going rate for a legal assistant in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do legal assistants get paid the most?
Legal Assistants get paid the most in District of Columbia. In District of Columbia, legal assistants earn an average annual salary of $56,918 and an average hourly wage of $27.36.
Following DC, the states with the highest-paid legal assistants are Colorado, New York, and Massachusetts, with average annual salaries of $49,366, $48,414, and $47,220 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid legal assistant salaries are:
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Washington, DC – $56,896
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San Francisco, CA – $52,809
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Denver, CO – $49,333
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Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
