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Best states for an executive legal assistant
Quoted expert
Roger Hartley Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to executive legal assistant jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for executive legal assistants. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for executive legal assistants, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for executive legal assistants.We found that Washington is the best state for executive legal assistant jobs, whereas Indiana is the worst.
10 best states for executive legal assistants in 2026
1. Washington
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 943 Average annual salary: $64,178 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. Arizona
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 727 Average annual salary: $58,287 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
3. Nevada
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $61,292 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
4. New Jersey
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 830 Average annual salary: $63,577 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
5. District of Columbia
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 219 Average annual salary: $61,868 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
6. Illinois
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 1,463 Average annual salary: $55,312 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
7. Utah
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 363 Average annual salary: $55,874 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
8. Delaware
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $56,502 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. Pennsylvania
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 987 Average annual salary: $58,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
10. New York
Total executive legal assistant jobs: 387 Average annual salary: $66,342 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.34
Executive legal assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an executive legal assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an executive legal assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $64,178 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 943 |
| 2 | Arizona | $58,287 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 727 |
| 3 | Nevada | $61,292 | $41,000 | 2,998,039 | 206 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,577 | $43,000 | 9,005,644 | 830 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $61,868 | $41,000 | 693,972 | 219 |
| 6 | Illinois | $55,312 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,463 |
| 7 | Utah | $55,874 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 363 |
| 8 | Delaware | $56,502 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 143 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,456 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 987 |
| 10 | New York | $66,342 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 387 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $55,659 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 386 |
| 12 | Texas | $51,703 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,446 |
| 13 | Colorado | $53,789 | $39,000 | 5,607,154 | 838 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $53,939 | $37,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,142 |
| 15 | California | $67,048 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 948 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $57,702 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 142 |
| 17 | Oregon | $61,768 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 71 |
| 18 | Idaho | $53,662 | $37,000 | 1,716,943 | 145 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $52,068 | $35,000 | 1,059,639 | 114 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $51,883 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 123 |
| 21 | Alaska | $55,297 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 71 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $50,211 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 676 |
| 23 | Georgia | $49,481 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,099 |
| 24 | Virginia | $50,293 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,105 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $48,963 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 191 |
| 26 | Michigan | $49,543 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 614 |
| 27 | Maryland | $51,119 | $34,000 | 6,052,177 | 575 |
| 28 | Montana | $45,593 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 137 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $49,273 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 138 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $54,568 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 68 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $44,777 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 107 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $47,842 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 64 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $44,947 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 519 |
| 34 | Vermont | $45,419 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 91 |
| 35 | Florida | $45,323 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,815 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $46,878 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 242 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $48,126 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 123 |
| 38 | Alabama | $45,460 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 354 |
| 39 | Kansas | $45,054 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 254 |
| 40 | Ohio | $44,779 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 833 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $42,823 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 65 |
| 42 | Missouri | $43,808 | $31,000 | 6,113,532 | 584 |
| 43 | Iowa | $44,623 | $32,000 | 3,145,711 | 264 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $43,156 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 494 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $41,856 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 264 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $44,055 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 265 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $44,143 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 197 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $40,748 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 860 |
| 49 | Maine | $42,294 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 107 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $40,363 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 345 |
| 51 | Indiana | $37,648 | $26,000 | 6,666,818 | 464 |
Highest paying states for executive legal assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Executive Legal Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $64,178 |
| 2 | Arizona | $58,287 |
| 3 | Nevada | $61,292 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,577 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $61,868 |
| 6 | Illinois | $55,312 |
| 7 | Utah | $55,874 |
| 8 | Delaware | $56,502 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,456 |
| 10 | New York | $66,342 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $55,659 |
| 12 | Texas | $51,703 |
| 13 | Colorado | $53,789 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $53,939 |
| 15 | California | $67,048 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $57,702 |
| 17 | Oregon | $61,768 |
| 18 | Idaho | $53,662 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $52,068 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $51,883 |
| 21 | Alaska | $55,297 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $50,211 |
| 23 | Georgia | $49,481 |
| 24 | Virginia | $50,293 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $48,963 |
| 26 | Michigan | $49,543 |
| 27 | Maryland | $51,119 |
| 28 | Montana | $45,593 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $49,273 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $54,568 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $44,777 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $47,842 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $44,947 |
| 34 | Vermont | $45,419 |
| 35 | Florida | $45,323 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $46,878 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $48,126 |
| 38 | Alabama | $45,460 |
| 39 | Kansas | $45,054 |
| 40 | Ohio | $44,779 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $42,823 |
| 42 | Missouri | $43,808 |
| 43 | Iowa | $44,623 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $43,156 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $41,856 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $44,055 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $44,143 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $40,748 |
| 49 | Maine | $42,294 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $40,363 |
| 51 | Indiana | $37,648 |
Expert opinions on the best states for executive legal assistants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for executive legal assistants to find work opportunities?
Roger Hartley Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore, University of Baltimore
The work shortage and the need for federal, local, and state government are high all over the nation. The concern now is if budget pressures delay the ability to hire.
Executive legal assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025