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Best states for a legal specialist
Quoted expert
Roger Hartley Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for legal specialists? 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 specialist jobs.As legal specialists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for legal specialists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a legal specialist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for legal specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a legal specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for legal specialists in 2025
1. New York
Total legal specialist jobs: 270 Average annual salary: $101,579 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. District of Columbia
Total legal specialist jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $93,267 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 6.91
3. Massachusetts
Total legal specialist jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $91,500 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
4. California
Total legal specialist jobs: 595 Average annual salary: $79,729 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
5. Virginia
Total legal specialist jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $78,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. West Virginia
Total legal specialist jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $65,613 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
7. New Jersey
Total legal specialist jobs: 113 Average annual salary: $77,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
8. Illinois
Total legal specialist jobs: 173 Average annual salary: $69,346 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
9. Rhode Island
Total legal specialist jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $72,151 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
10. Connecticut
Total legal specialist jobs: 30 Average annual salary: $76,209 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
Legal specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a legal specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a legal specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $101,579 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 270 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $93,267 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 169 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $91,500 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 153 |
| 4 | California | $79,729 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 595 |
| 5 | Virginia | $78,263 | $43,000 | 8,470,020 | 128 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $65,613 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 34 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,897 | $43,000 | 9,005,644 | 113 |
| 8 | Illinois | $69,346 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 173 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $72,151 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 13 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $76,209 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 30 |
| 11 | Vermont | $76,167 | $43,000 | 623,657 | 6 |
| 12 | Alaska | $63,921 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 15 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $66,244 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 21 |
| 14 | Delaware | $72,648 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 13 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $63,181 | $35,000 | 12,805,537 | 122 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $53,753 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $61,983 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 110 |
| 18 | Michigan | $60,547 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 100 |
| 19 | Nevada | $61,967 | $33,000 | 2,998,039 | 20 |
| 20 | Georgia | $54,610 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 173 |
| 21 | Florida | $53,798 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 372 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $54,950 | $30,000 | 5,576,606 | 105 |
| 23 | Maryland | $61,751 | $34,000 | 6,052,177 | 82 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $57,145 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 49 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,806 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 43 |
| 26 | Iowa | $53,371 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 33 |
| 27 | Texas | $51,787 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 293 |
| 28 | Colorado | $51,694 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 113 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $48,658 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 14 |
| 30 | Utah | $54,209 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 26 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $50,767 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 68 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $51,638 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 25 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,162 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 79 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $52,187 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 23 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $50,705 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 29 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $47,325 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 13 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $51,329 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 38 |
| 38 | Washington | $46,574 | $26,000 | 7,405,743 | 135 |
| 39 | Alabama | $50,489 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 22 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $48,689 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 7 |
| 41 | Missouri | $47,065 | $26,000 | 6,113,532 | 69 |
| 42 | Montana | $46,093 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 16 |
| 43 | Arizona | $44,418 | $24,000 | 7,016,270 | 76 |
| 44 | Maine | $47,518 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 12 |
| 45 | Oregon | $46,317 | $25,000 | 4,142,776 | 43 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,732 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 15 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $43,609 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 22 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $46,482 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 9 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $33,549 | $19,000 | 3,004,279 | 34 |
| 50 | Idaho | $46,074 | $26,000 | 1,716,943 | 10 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $41,492 | $23,000 | 3,930,864 | 10 |
Highest paying states for legal specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Legal Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $101,579 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $93,267 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $91,500 |
| 4 | California | $79,729 |
| 5 | Virginia | $78,263 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $65,613 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,897 |
| 8 | Illinois | $69,346 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $72,151 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $76,209 |
| 11 | Vermont | $76,167 |
| 12 | Alaska | $63,921 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $66,244 |
| 14 | Delaware | $72,648 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $63,181 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $53,753 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $61,983 |
| 18 | Michigan | $60,547 |
| 19 | Nevada | $61,967 |
| 20 | Georgia | $54,610 |
| 21 | Florida | $53,798 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $54,950 |
| 23 | Maryland | $61,751 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $57,145 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,806 |
| 26 | Iowa | $53,371 |
| 27 | Texas | $51,787 |
| 28 | Colorado | $51,694 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $48,658 |
| 30 | Utah | $54,209 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $50,767 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $51,638 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,162 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $52,187 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $50,705 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $47,325 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $51,329 |
| 38 | Washington | $46,574 |
| 39 | Alabama | $50,489 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $48,689 |
| 41 | Missouri | $47,065 |
| 42 | Montana | $46,093 |
| 43 | Arizona | $44,418 |
| 44 | Maine | $47,518 |
| 45 | Oregon | $46,317 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,732 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $43,609 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $46,482 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $33,549 |
| 50 | Idaho | $46,074 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $41,492 |
Expert opinions on the best states for legal specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for legal specialists 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025