This question is about legal assistant salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Legal Assistant?
A good starting salary for a legal assistant is $30,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a legal assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for legal assistants is $41,384, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a legal assistant can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Legal Assistant Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level legal assistant earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| District of Columbia | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Alaska | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| California | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Hawaii | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Colorado | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Washington | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| New Hampshire | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Massachusetts | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| New York | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Nevada | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Illinois | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Minnesota | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Kansas | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| New Jersey | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Connecticut | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Nebraska | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Utah | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Delaware | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Michigan | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| North Dakota | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Idaho | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| West Virginia | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Texas | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Mississippi | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Rhode Island | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Wisconsin | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Maryland | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Vermont | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Oregon | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Virginia | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Arizona | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Maine | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Montana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Georgia | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Louisiana | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| New Mexico | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Ohio | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Wyoming | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Arkansas | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Indiana | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Iowa | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Alabama | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Missouri | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| South Dakota | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Florida | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Kentucky | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| North Carolina | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Tennessee | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| South Carolina | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Oklahoma | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Legal Assistant Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level legal assistant job is above the national average. Topping the list is Washington, DC.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Washington, DC | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| San Francisco, CA | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Denver, CO | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Olympia, WA | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| New York, NY | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Boston, MA | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Chicago, IL | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Baltimore, MD | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
