This question is about legal extern salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Legal Extern?
A good starting salary for a legal extern is $26,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a legal extern in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for legal externs is $55,979, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a legal extern can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Legal Extern Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level legal extern 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 | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| California | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Hawaii | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Texas | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| New York | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Maryland | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Nevada | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Illinois | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Connecticut | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| West Virginia | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Arizona | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| New Jersey | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Virginia | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Mississippi | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Georgia | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| New Mexico | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| New Hampshire | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Nebraska | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Colorado | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Utah | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Oregon | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Delaware | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Arkansas | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Washington | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Oklahoma | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| North Dakota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Vermont | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Maine | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Carolina | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Alaska | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Kansas | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Tennessee | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Florida | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Louisiana | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Michigan | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Massachusetts | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Rhode Island | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Minnesota | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Ohio | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Missouri | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Alabama | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Wyoming | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Kentucky | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| South Dakota | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| South Carolina | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Iowa | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Wisconsin | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Montana | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Indiana | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Idaho | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Legal Extern Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level legal extern job is above the national average. Topping the list is Washington, DC.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Washington, DC | $69,000 | $5,750 | $1,326 | $33.17 |
| San Francisco, CA | $63,000 | $5,250 | $1,211 | $30.29 |
| San Antonio, TX | $58,000 | $4,833 | $1,115 | $27.88 |
| New York, NY | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Baltimore, MD | $50,000 | $4,166 | $961 | $24.04 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Chicago, IL | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Hartford, CT | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Cherry Hill, NJ | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| McLean, VA | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
