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Legal researcher salary
Average legal researcher salary
$49,342
Understanding Legal Researcher Salaries
The average salary for a Legal Researcher is approximately $49,342 annually, translating to around $24 per hour. This figure can vary based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific legal field one works in. For instance, legal researchers in higher-paying states or firms may earn significantly more.
Entry-level positions often start at lower salaries, while experienced legal researchers can command higher pay. Those with specialized skills or working in niche areas may also see increased compensation. In states like California and New York, the demand for legal researchers is high, leading to competitive salaries.
In addition to salary, job prospects for legal researchers remain strong. Many firms are looking for skilled individuals who can support attorneys with case preparation, legal writing, and research. As the legal field continues to evolve, opportunities for advancement and specialization will likely increase.
Highest Paying States for Legal Researchers
States such as California, New York, and Texas often offer the highest salaries for legal researchers. This reflects the concentration of legal firms and the demand for legal services in these regions.
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Where can a Legal Researcher earn more?
Legal researcher salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level legal researcher | $28,600 | $13.77 |
| Mid-level legal researcher | $34,600 | $16.61 |
| Senior-level legal researcher | $72,500 | $34.85 |
Legal researcher salary estimates from across the web
Average legal researcher salary by state
The average legal researcher salary in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average legal researcher salary states are Kansas, Montana, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for legal researchers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $89,335 | $42.95 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $96,812 | $46.54 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $86,608 | $41.64 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $87,072 | $41.86 |
| 5 | Virginia | $86,972 | $41.81 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $76,661 | $36.86 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $70,894 | $34.08 |
| 8 | California | $67,787 | $32.59 |
| 9 | Delaware | $72,768 | $34.98 |
| 10 | Maryland | $71,831 | $34.53 |
| 11 | Vermont | $81,313 | $39.09 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $60,267 | $28.97 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $63,631 | $30.59 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $71,316 | $34.29 |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,083 | $28.41 |
| 16 | Illinois | $66,481 | $31.96 |
| 17 | Michigan | $60,894 | $29.28 |
| 18 | Alaska | $58,832 | $28.28 |
| 19 | Oregon | $58,310 | $28.03 |
| 20 | Ohio | $60,262 | $28.97 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $50,595 | $24.32 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $51,789 | $24.90 |
| 23 | Nevada | $59,748 | $28.73 |
| 24 | Arizona | $55,653 | $26.76 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $53,779 | $25.86 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $52,879 | $25.42 |
| 27 | Florida | $50,485 | $24.27 |
| 28 | Utah | $50,726 | $24.39 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $48,197 | $23.17 |
| 30 | Maine | $51,061 | $24.55 |
| 31 | Washington | $45,899 | $22.07 |
| 32 | Georgia | $49,176 | $23.64 |
| 33 | Indiana | $52,395 | $25.19 |
| 34 | Texas | $46,108 | $22.17 |
| 35 | Iowa | $47,560 | $22.87 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $42,398 | $20.38 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $44,711 | $21.50 |
| 38 | Montana | $41,012 | $19.72 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $44,647 | $21.46 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $44,076 | $21.19 |
| 41 | Alabama | $45,114 | $21.69 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $44,696 | $21.49 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $42,976 | $20.66 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $43,920 | $21.12 |
| 45 | Missouri | $40,779 | $19.61 |
| 46 | Idaho | $43,943 | $21.13 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $42,233 | $20.30 |
| 48 | Kansas | $41,454 | $19.93 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $39,423 | $18.95 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $29,752 | $14.30 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $36,997 | $17.79 |
Highest paying cities for legal researchers
The highest-paying cities for legal researchers are Boston, MA, Annandale, VA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $97,758 | $47.00 |
| 2 | Annandale, VA | $93,339 | $44.87 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $89,822 | $43.18 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $87,127 | $41.89 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $78,256 | $37.62 |
| 6 | West Haven, CT | $71,291 | $34.27 |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $70,604 | $33.94 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $67,341 | $32.38 |
| 9 | Southfield, MI | $61,285 | $29.46 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,997 | $25.96 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $51,712 | $24.86 |
| 12 | Coral Gables, FL | $50,792 | $24.42 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $48,990 | $23.55 |
| 14 | New Orleans, LA | $48,333 | $23.24 |
| 15 | Houston, TX | $46,713 | $22.46 |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $46,218 | $22.22 |
| 17 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $44,534 | $21.41 |
| 18 | Topeka, KS | $41,621 | $20.01 |
Legal researcher salary details
A legal researcher's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $106,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a legal researcher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $49,342 | $4,112 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying legal researcher jobs
The highest paying types of legal researchers are corporate counsel, legal counsel, and general counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Attorney At Law | $108,018 | $9,002 | $51.93 | 7,025 |
| Corporate Counsel | $142,515 | $11,876 | $68.52 | 14,913 |
| Litigation Attorney | $109,027 | $9,086 | $52.42 | 6,918 |
Top companies hiring legal researchers now:
Which companies pay legal researchers the most?
Legal researcher salaries at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Seyfarth Shaw are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average legal researcher salary at companies like Murchison & Cumming and Mayer Brown are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | $221,853 | $106.66 |
| 2 | Seyfarth Shaw | $220,199 | $105.86 |
| 3 | Murchison & Cumming | $209,462 | $100.70 |
| 4 | Mayer Brown | $206,879 | $99.46 |
| 5 | SpecialCounsel | $199,094 | $95.72 |
| 6 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $145,252 | $69.83 |
| 7 | Open Society Foundations | $127,231 | $61.17 |
| 8 | VTech | $107,671 | $51.76 |
| 9 | Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. | $87,995 | $42.31 |
| 10 | UMiami Health System | $87,402 | $42.02 |
| 11 | Emory University | $70,046 | $33.68 |
| 12 | Suffolk University | $69,298 | $33.32 |
| 13 | Utilities Telecom Council | $69,030 | $33.19 |
| 14 | Wingert Grebing Brubaker | $68,458 | $32.91 |
| 15 | Gargiulo Inc | $68,278 | $32.83 |
| 16 | Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr. | $67,989 | $32.69 |
| 17 | HBR Consulting | $62,340 | $29.97 |
| 18 | University of California-Berkeley | $61,266 | $29.45 |
| 19 | Maximus | $54,672 | $26.28 |
| 20 | Axiom Global | $51,999 | $25.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Legal researcher salary trends
The average legal researcher salary has risen by $5,294 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average legal researcher earned $44,048 annually, but today, they earn $49,342 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for legal researchers over the last decade.
Compare legal researcher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average legal researcher salary over time
Compare legal researcher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Legal researcher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,300 | $23.72 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $47,800 | $22.98 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $47,000 | $22.60 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $46,400 | $22.29 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $45,900 | $22.08 | +2.0% |
Recently added legal researcher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alphasights | Legal & Compliance, Research Compliance Associate (Summer 2025) | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $73,000 |
| Robert Half | Job Information Legal Researcher & Writer | Westhampton, NY | 06/14/2025 | $58,436 |
| Global Channel Management | Legal Discovery Support | Detroit, MI | 06/10/2025 | $43,827 |
| National Football League | Legalized Sports Betting Researcher | Inglewood, CA | 06/09/2025 | $64,697 |
| Alphasights | Legal & Compliance, Research Compliance Associate (Summer 2025) | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $73,000 |
| Alphasights | Legal & Compliance, Research Compliance Associate (Immediate Start 2025) | New York, NY | 04/30/2025 | $73,000 |
| Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP | Senior Legal and Business Researcher | Los Angeles, CA | 04/28/2025 | $85,000 |
| Nj Cure | Legal Research Attorney | Princeton, NJ | 04/28/2025 | $90,000 |
| Global Channel Management | Legal Discovery Support | Detroit, MI | 04/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Thomson Reuters | Legal Researcher | Eagan, MN | 04/24/2025 | $45,914 |
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