Best cities for a legal researcher
The best cities for legal researchers are New York, NY, Buffalo, NY, and Washington, DC, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for legal researchers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for legal researchers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a legal researcher or considering a move, this list of the best cities for legal researchers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for legal researchers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a legal researcher. While the absolute best city for legal researchers is New York, NY, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for legal researchers in 2024.
If you're looking for a legal researcher job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for legal researchers in 2025
1. New York, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $89,822 Lowest 10 percent warn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 77.72 2. Buffalo, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $85,956 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 63.76 3. Washington, DC
Total legal researcher jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $87,127 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 50.94 4. Boston, MA
Total legal researcher jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $97,758 Lowest 10 percent warn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location quotient: 6.84 5. Brookhaven, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $91,329 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location quotient: 0.00 6. Islip, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $90,836 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Virginia Beach, VA
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $86,820 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 0.00 8. Oyster Bay, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $90,575 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Norfolk, VA
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $86,485 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Hempstead, NY
Total legal researcher jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $90,194 Lowest 10 percent warn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 0.00
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Best cities for legal researchers
- New York, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Washington, DC
- Boston, MA
- Brookhaven, NY
- Islip, NY
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Oyster Bay, NY
- Norfolk, VA
- Hempstead, NY
- (156 legal researcher jobs)
- (4 legal researcher jobs)
- (18 legal researcher jobs)
- (3 legal researcher jobs)
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Detailed list of the best cities for a legal researcher
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $89,822 | $45,000 | 8,537,673 | 156 |
| 2 | Buffalo, NY | $85,956 | $42,000 | 256,902 | 4 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $87,127 | $42,000 | 681,170 | 18 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $97,758 | $50,000 | 673,184 | 3 |
| 5 | Brookhaven, NY | $91,329 | $46,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 6 | Islip, NY | $90,836 | $46,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 7 | Virginia Beach, VA | $86,820 | $42,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 8 | Oyster Bay, NY | $90,575 | $46,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 9 | Norfolk, VA | $86,485 | $42,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 10 | Hempstead, NY | $90,194 | $45,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 11 | Oakland, CA | $77,958 | $36,000 | 420,005 | 2 |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $65,026 | $31,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 13 | Chesapeake, VA | $85,559 | $42,000 | 237,940 | - |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $66,441 | $31,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 15 | Jersey City, NJ | $88,054 | $44,000 | 264,152 | - |
| 16 | Newark, NJ | $87,953 | $44,000 | 281,764 | - |
| 17 | San Francisco, CA | $78,256 | $36,000 | 870,887 | 2 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $67,341 | $33,000 | 2,704,958 | 10 |
| 19 | Fort Wayne, IN | $56,727 | $27,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 20 | Sacramento, CA | $77,542 | $36,000 | 495,234 | 1 |
| 21 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,313 | $32,000 | 1,567,872 | - |
| 22 | Las Vegas, NV | $58,485 | $27,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 23 | Detroit, MI | $61,343 | $29,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 24 | North Las Vegas, NV | $58,302 | $27,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 25 | Toledo, OH | $62,130 | $30,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 26 | Henderson, NV | $58,046 | $27,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 27 | Fremont, CA | $77,242 | $36,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 28 | Durham, NC | $55,738 | $27,000 | 263,016 | - |
| 29 | Columbus, OH | $58,639 | $28,000 | 860,090 | - |
| 30 | San Jose, CA | $76,713 | $36,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 31 | Raleigh, NC | $55,447 | $27,000 | 458,880 | - |
| 32 | Stockton, CA | $76,919 | $35,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 33 | Pittsburgh, PA | $58,583 | $28,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 34 | Glendale, AZ | $55,542 | $27,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 35 | Phoenix, AZ | $55,495 | $27,000 | 1,615,017 | - |
| 36 | Baltimore, MD | $72,394 | $35,000 | 614,664 | - |
| 37 | Chandler, AZ | $55,441 | $27,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 38 | Gilbert, AZ | $55,402 | $27,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 39 | Fresno, CA | $72,536 | $34,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 40 | Scottsdale, AZ | $55,375 | $27,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 41 | Cincinnati, OH | $52,713 | $26,000 | 298,800 | - |
| 42 | Mesa, AZ | $55,369 | $27,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 43 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,997 | $26,000 | 595,047 | - |
| 44 | Santa Ana, CA | $63,428 | $31,000 | 334,217 | 5 |
| 45 | Anchorage, AK | $58,549 | $36,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 46 | Greensboro, NC | $54,232 | $26,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 47 | Bakersfield, CA | $68,164 | $32,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 48 | Winston-Salem, NC | $53,400 | $26,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 49 | Los Angeles, CA | $64,374 | $32,000 | 3,976,322 | 25 |
| 50 | Tucson, AZ | $55,465 | $28,000 | 530,706 | - |
Highest paying cities for legal researchers
| Rank | City | Avg. legal researcher salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $97,758 |
| 2 | Annandale, VA | $93,339 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $89,822 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $87,127 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $78,256 |
| 6 | West Haven, CT | $71,291 |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $70,604 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $67,341 |
| 9 | Southfield, MI | $61,285 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,997 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $51,712 |
| 12 | Coral Gables, FL | $50,792 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $48,990 |
| 14 | New Orleans, LA | $48,333 |
| 15 | Houston, TX | $46,713 |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $46,218 |
| 17 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $44,534 |
| 18 | Topeka, KS | $41,621 |
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Updated January 8, 2025