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Best states for a legal extern
Quoted expert
Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for legal externs? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for legal extern jobs.In fact, our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state for legal externs in America. The best city in America for legal externs with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
We figured that the best places for legal extern jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for legal extern jobs, whereas Idaho is the worst.
10 best states for legal externs in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total legal extern jobs: 238 Average annual salary: $103,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 6.97
2. New York
Total legal extern jobs: 357 Average annual salary: $91,219 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. California
Total legal extern jobs: 771 Average annual salary: $80,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
4. New Jersey
Total legal extern jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $81,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
5. New Hampshire
Total legal extern jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $76,856 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. West Virginia
Total legal extern jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $65,427 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
7. Pennsylvania
Total legal extern jobs: 146 Average annual salary: $76,025 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
8. Vermont
Total legal extern jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $75,813 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
9. Connecticut
Total legal extern jobs: 37 Average annual salary: $81,690 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
10. Rhode Island
Total legal extern jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $76,975 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
Legal extern jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a legal extern
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a legal extern
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $103,850 | $57,000 | 693,972 | 238 |
| 2 | New York | $91,219 | $49,000 | 19,849,399 | 357 |
| 3 | California | $80,329 | $42,000 | 39,536,653 | 771 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $81,550 | $43,000 | 9,005,644 | 157 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $76,856 | $41,000 | 1,342,795 | 32 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $65,427 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 61 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $76,025 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 146 |
| 8 | Vermont | $75,813 | $41,000 | 623,657 | 12 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $81,690 | $44,000 | 3,588,184 | 37 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $76,975 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 14 |
| 11 | Virginia | $73,227 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 173 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $69,805 | $37,000 | 6,859,819 | 203 |
| 13 | Illinois | $72,550 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 219 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $60,522 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 26 |
| 15 | Maryland | $74,456 | $39,000 | 6,052,177 | 111 |
| 16 | Michigan | $61,112 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 166 |
| 17 | Maine | $73,624 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 13 |
| 18 | Washington | $58,096 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 145 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $50,641 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 58 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $55,616 | $30,000 | 5,576,606 | 117 |
| 21 | Alaska | $54,155 | $35,000 | 739,795 | 18 |
| 22 | Delaware | $61,434 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 15 |
| 23 | Oregon | $61,734 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 48 |
| 24 | Arizona | $53,666 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 106 |
| 25 | Georgia | $49,826 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 228 |
| 26 | Texas | $50,190 | $27,000 | 28,304,596 | 389 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $49,323 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 72 |
| 28 | Colorado | $49,654 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 137 |
| 29 | Ohio | $55,735 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 98 |
| 30 | Nevada | $52,231 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 23 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $53,097 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 18 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $47,592 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 148 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $40,752 | $22,000 | 579,315 | 35 |
| 34 | Montana | $41,891 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 31 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $42,064 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 114 |
| 36 | Iowa | $47,753 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 40 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $47,677 | $25,000 | 5,795,483 | 62 |
| 38 | Missouri | $44,338 | $24,000 | 6,113,532 | 100 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,088 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 13 |
| 40 | Florida | $37,537 | $20,000 | 20,984,400 | 662 |
| 41 | Indiana | $42,765 | $22,000 | 6,666,818 | 72 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $40,372 | $22,000 | 1,920,076 | 33 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $42,659 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 10 |
| 44 | Utah | $44,370 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 28 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $39,336 | $21,000 | 5,024,369 | 75 |
| 46 | Kansas | $42,946 | $23,000 | 2,913,123 | 27 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $39,671 | $21,000 | 4,684,333 | 41 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $40,954 | $22,000 | 3,930,864 | 24 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $36,740 | $20,000 | 3,004,279 | 40 |
| 50 | Alabama | $37,367 | $20,000 | 4,874,747 | 32 |
| 51 | Idaho | $32,929 | $18,000 | 1,716,943 | 18 |
Highest paying states for legal externs
| Rank | State | Avg. Legal Extern Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $103,850 |
| 2 | New York | $91,219 |
| 3 | California | $80,329 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $81,550 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $76,856 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $65,427 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $76,025 |
| 8 | Vermont | $75,813 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $81,690 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $76,975 |
| 11 | Virginia | $73,227 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $69,805 |
| 13 | Illinois | $72,550 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $60,522 |
| 15 | Maryland | $74,456 |
| 16 | Michigan | $61,112 |
| 17 | Maine | $73,624 |
| 18 | Washington | $58,096 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $50,641 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $55,616 |
| 21 | Alaska | $54,155 |
| 22 | Delaware | $61,434 |
| 23 | Oregon | $61,734 |
| 24 | Arizona | $53,666 |
| 25 | Georgia | $49,826 |
| 26 | Texas | $50,190 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $49,323 |
| 28 | Colorado | $49,654 |
| 29 | Ohio | $55,735 |
| 30 | Nevada | $52,231 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $53,097 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $47,592 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $40,752 |
| 34 | Montana | $41,891 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $42,064 |
| 36 | Iowa | $47,753 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $47,677 |
| 38 | Missouri | $44,338 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,088 |
| 40 | Florida | $37,537 |
| 41 | Indiana | $42,765 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $40,372 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $42,659 |
| 44 | Utah | $44,370 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $39,336 |
| 46 | Kansas | $42,946 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $39,671 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $40,954 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $36,740 |
| 50 | Alabama | $37,367 |
| 51 | Idaho | $32,929 |
Expert opinions on the best states for legal externs
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for legal externs to find work opportunities?
Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Kent State University
I think the best advice here is to be open to looking widely and being willing to move.
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Updated January 8, 2025