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Legal specialist salary
Average legal specialist salary
$55,253
Average Legal Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Legal Specialist in 2025 is approximately $55,253 annually, or about $27 per hour. This figure can vary significantly depending on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and specific legal sectors. Entry-level positions might see lower starting salaries, while those with extensive experience can command higher compensation.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level Legal Specialists typically earn around $40,000 per year, while mid-level professionals see salaries around $55,000. Those with advanced expertise and management responsibilities can earn upwards of $70,000 annually, particularly in high-demand markets.
Where Can a Legal Specialist Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for Legal Specialists, reflecting the demand for legal services in large metropolitan areas. Additionally, specialties in corporate law or intellectual property can lead to higher earning potential.
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Where can a Legal Specialist earn more?
Legal specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level legal specialist | $32,100 | $15.42 |
| Mid-level legal specialist | $38,700 | $18.60 |
| Senior-level legal specialist | $81,200 | $39.02 |
Legal specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average legal specialist salary by state
The average legal specialist salary in New York, Massachusetts, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average legal specialist salary states are Montana, Idaho, and Arizona.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for legal specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $101,579 | $48.84 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $93,267 | $44.84 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $91,500 | $43.99 |
| 4 | California | $79,729 | $38.33 |
| 5 | Virginia | $78,263 | $37.63 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $65,613 | $31.54 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,897 | $37.45 |
| 8 | Illinois | $69,346 | $33.34 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $72,151 | $34.69 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $76,209 | $36.64 |
| 11 | Vermont | $76,167 | $36.62 |
| 12 | Alaska | $63,921 | $30.73 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $66,244 | $31.85 |
| 14 | Delaware | $72,648 | $34.93 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $63,181 | $30.38 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $53,753 | $25.84 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $61,983 | $29.80 |
| 18 | Michigan | $60,547 | $29.11 |
| 19 | Nevada | $61,967 | $29.79 |
| 20 | Georgia | $54,610 | $26.25 |
| 21 | Florida | $53,798 | $25.86 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $54,950 | $26.42 |
| 23 | Maryland | $61,751 | $29.69 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $57,145 | $27.47 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,806 | $27.79 |
| 26 | Iowa | $53,371 | $25.66 |
| 27 | Texas | $51,787 | $24.90 |
| 28 | Colorado | $51,694 | $24.85 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $48,658 | $23.39 |
| 30 | Utah | $54,209 | $26.06 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $50,767 | $24.41 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $51,638 | $24.83 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,162 | $24.60 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $52,187 | $25.09 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $50,705 | $24.38 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $47,325 | $22.75 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $51,329 | $24.68 |
| 38 | Washington | $46,574 | $22.39 |
| 39 | Alabama | $50,489 | $24.27 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $48,689 | $23.41 |
| 41 | Missouri | $47,065 | $22.63 |
| 42 | Montana | $46,093 | $22.16 |
| 43 | Arizona | $44,418 | $21.35 |
| 44 | Maine | $47,518 | $22.85 |
| 45 | Oregon | $46,317 | $22.27 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,732 | $22.95 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $43,609 | $20.97 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $46,482 | $22.35 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $33,549 | $16.13 |
| 50 | Idaho | $46,074 | $22.15 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $41,492 | $19.95 |
Highest paying cities for legal specialists
The highest-paying cities for legal specialists are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Milford, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $102,430 | $49.25 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $93,559 | $44.98 |
| 3 | Milford, MA | $91,625 | $44.05 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $87,685 | $42.16 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $80,352 | $38.63 |
| 6 | Rahway, NJ | $77,972 | $37.49 |
| 7 | Milford, CT | $76,251 | $36.66 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $70,048 | $33.68 |
| 9 | Gaithersburg, MD | $61,382 | $29.51 |
| 10 | Troy, MI | $60,995 | $29.32 |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | $58,730 | $28.24 |
| 12 | Rochester, MN | $54,813 | $26.35 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $54,575 | $26.24 |
| 14 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $53,959 | $25.94 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $52,426 | $25.20 |
| 16 | Columbia, SC | $51,795 | $24.90 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $51,659 | $24.84 |
| 18 | Bellevue, WA | $46,826 | $22.51 |
| 19 | Hillsboro, OR | $45,963 | $22.10 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $44,468 | $21.38 |
Legal specialist salary details
A legal specialist's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a legal specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| Average | $55,253 | $4,604 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying legal specialist jobs
The highest paying types of legal specialists are legal counsel, associate attorney, and attorney.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Law Clerk | $55,916 | $4,660 | $26.88 | 75,014 |
| Real Estate Paralegal | $68,387 | $5,699 | $32.88 | 24,369 |
| Contractor-Paralegal | $60,686 | $5,057 | $29.18 | 15,609 |
| Corporate Paralegal | $67,515 | $5,626 | $32.46 | 13,482 |
| Litigation Paralegal | $58,484 | $4,874 | $28.12 | 5,132 |
Top companies hiring legal specialists now:
Which companies pay legal specialists the most?
Legal specialist salaries at Orrick and Seyfarth Shaw are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average legal specialist salary at companies like Baker McKenzie and Mayer Brown are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orrick | $207,143 | $99.59 |
| 2 | Seyfarth Shaw | $204,724 | $98.42 |
| 3 | Baker McKenzie | $191,379 | $92.01 |
| 4 | Mayer Brown | $188,887 | $90.81 |
| 5 | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | $182,743 | $87.86 |
| 6 | Winston & Strawn | $169,140 | $81.32 |
| 7 | Covington & Burling | $168,524 | $81.02 |
| 8 | Apple | $166,417 | $80.01 |
| 9 | Novo Nordisk | $164,097 | $78.89 |
| 10 | Meta | $161,022 | $77.41 |
| 11 | Sullivan & Worcester | $151,621 | $72.89 |
| 12 | Qualtrics | $151,473 | $72.82 |
| 13 | Merck | $150,142 | $72.18 |
| 14 | Bloomberg | $148,741 | $71.51 |
| 15 | $145,525 | $69.96 | |
| 16 | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton | $143,369 | $68.93 |
| 17 | Rational Enterprise | $139,936 | $67.28 |
| 18 | Bain & Company | $135,912 | $65.34 |
| 19 | Waters | $128,131 | $61.60 |
| 20 | Mayo Clinic | $124,003 | $59.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Legal specialist salary trends
The average legal specialist salary has risen by $5,928 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average legal specialist earned $49,325 annually, but today, they earn $55,253 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for legal specialists over the last decade.
Compare legal specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average legal specialist salary over time
Compare legal specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Legal specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $55,300 | $26.56 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $53,500 | $25.73 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $52,600 | $25.30 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $51,900 | $24.96 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $51,400 | $24.73 | +2.0% |
Recently added legal specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milbank LLP | Legal Assistant Specialist-Transporation & Space | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Arizona Department of Administration | Environmental Science Specialist 2-Legal Specialist | Ione, WA | 06/28/2025 | $50,000 |
| Anthropic | Commercial Legal Specialist, Operations and Brand | San Francisco, CA | 06/28/2025 | $130,000 |
| Redtech Recruitment | Legal Onboarding Specialist | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $75,000 |
| Anthropic | Commercial Legal Specialist, Growth | Fine, NY | 06/26/2025 | $170,000 |
| Elior North America | Legal Specialist | Saint Paul, MN | 06/21/2025 | $60,000 |
| Open Roles | Legal Specialist-Trade Compliance | Mountain View, CA | 06/18/2025 | $120,000 |
| Waymo | Legal Specialist-Trade Compliance | San Francisco, CA | 06/17/2025 | $120,000 |
| Mars | Senior Legal Specialist | Louisville, CO | 06/16/2025 | $100,000 |
| Mars | Senior Legal Specialist | Nashville, TN | 06/16/2025 | $100,000 |
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