Post job

Best states for a senior paralegal

Quoted expert
Emily Allen-Hornblower
  • Rank 1 - 10
  • 11 - 20
  • 21 - 30
  • 31 - 40
  • 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for senior paralegals? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for senior paralegal jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant senior paralegal jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Washington is the best state in the country for senior paralegal jobs.
The median salary for senior paralegals in Washington is $75,560. Compare that to the median salary in Indiana of $43,298, which ranked worst for senior paralegals, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for senior paralegals, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for senior paralegal jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.

10 best states for senior paralegals in 2026

  1. Washington #1 best state for senior paralegals

    1. Washington

    Total senior paralegal jobs:107
    Average annual salary:$75,560
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$48,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$118,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.46
  2. New York #2 best state for senior paralegals

    2. New York

    Total senior paralegal jobs:173
    Average annual salary:$73,256
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$45,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$117,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.35
  3. Massachusetts #3 best state for senior paralegals

    3. Massachusetts

    Total senior paralegal jobs:112
    Average annual salary:$71,040
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$44,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$112,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.22
  4. California #4 best state for senior paralegals

    4. California

    Total senior paralegal jobs:358
    Average annual salary:$73,648
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$46,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$116,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.22
  5. New Jersey #5 best state for senior paralegals

    5. New Jersey

    Total senior paralegal jobs:81
    Average annual salary:$72,043
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$44,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$115,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.02
  6. Oregon #6 best state for senior paralegals

    6. Oregon

    Total senior paralegal jobs:30
    Average annual salary:$72,513
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$46,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$113,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.72
  7. Illinois #7 best state for senior paralegals

    7. Illinois

    Total senior paralegal jobs:123
    Average annual salary:$66,787
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$43,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$103,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.03
  8. West Virginia #8 best state for senior paralegals

    8. West Virginia

    Total senior paralegal jobs:27
    Average annual salary:$59,410
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$37,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$95,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.76
  9. District of Columbia #9 best state for senior paralegals

    9. District of Columbia

    Total senior paralegal jobs:131
    Average annual salary:$68,853
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$42,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$111,000
    Location Quotient:
    7.78
  10. Pennsylvania #10 best state for senior paralegals

    10. Pennsylvania

    Total senior paralegal jobs:89
    Average annual salary:$66,088
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$41,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$106,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.76

Senior paralegal jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior paralegal

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a senior paralegal

RankStateAverage salaryLowest 10% earnPopulationJob count
1Washington$75,560$48,0007,405,743107
2New York$73,256$45,00019,849,399173
3Massachusetts$71,040$44,0006,859,819112
4California$73,648$46,00039,536,653358
5New Jersey$72,043$44,0009,005,64481
6Oregon$72,513$46,0004,142,77630
7Illinois$66,787$43,00012,802,023123
8West Virginia$59,410$37,0001,815,85727
9District of Columbia$68,853$42,000693,972131
10Pennsylvania$66,088$41,00012,805,53789
11Minnesota$62,915$41,0005,576,60670
12Nevada$67,179$42,0002,998,03912
13Alaska$62,278$50,000739,79511
14Connecticut$68,714$43,0003,588,18417
15Colorado$60,621$41,0005,607,15480
16New Hampshire$67,540$42,0001,342,7954
17Michigan$58,176$36,0009,962,31169
18Rhode Island$60,979$38,0001,059,6398
19Utah$63,009$41,0003,101,83314
20Delaware$62,852$39,000961,9397
21North Carolina$57,510$35,00010,273,41963
22Idaho$60,507$38,0001,716,9437
23North Dakota$51,677$34,000755,39319
24Arizona$54,852$35,0007,016,27052
25Hawaii$61,876$49,0001,427,5389
26Nebraska$54,939$36,0001,920,07616
27Mississippi$51,984$32,0002,984,10019
28Texas$51,884$32,00028,304,596182
29South Dakota$54,742$36,000869,6664
30Kentucky$52,995$33,0004,454,18917
31Vermont$53,214$33,000623,6575
32Iowa$51,284$33,0003,145,71124
33Maryland$53,814$33,0006,052,17751
34Ohio$51,951$32,00011,658,60948
35Wyoming$47,696$32,000579,31512
36Tennessee$48,742$30,0006,715,98454
37Georgia$48,989$30,00010,429,379134
38Montana$50,955$34,0001,050,49310
39Virginia$50,696$31,0008,470,02091
40Maine$50,227$32,0001,335,9078
41New Mexico$51,807$33,0002,088,0707
42Wisconsin$50,333$32,0005,795,48327
43Florida$43,758$26,00020,984,400322
44Missouri$48,208$31,0006,113,53248
45Alabama$48,340$29,0004,874,74717
46Kansas$49,107$32,0002,913,1236
47Arkansas$44,387$28,0003,004,27921
48Louisiana$46,040$28,0004,684,33315
49Oklahoma$46,711$30,0003,930,8644
50South Carolina$41,382$25,0005,024,36926
51Indiana$43,298$27,0006,666,81823

Highest paying states for senior paralegals

RankStateAvg. Senior Paralegal Salary
1Washington$75,560
2New York$73,256
3Massachusetts$71,040
4California$73,648
5New Jersey$72,043
6Oregon$72,513
7Illinois$66,787
8West Virginia$59,410
9District of Columbia$68,853
10Pennsylvania$66,088
11Minnesota$62,915
12Nevada$67,179
13Alaska$62,278
14Connecticut$68,714
15Colorado$60,621
16New Hampshire$67,540
17Michigan$58,176
18Rhode Island$60,979
19Utah$63,009
20Delaware$62,852
21North Carolina$57,510
22Idaho$60,507
23North Dakota$51,677
24Arizona$54,852
25Hawaii$61,876
26Nebraska$54,939
27Mississippi$51,984
28Texas$51,884
29South Dakota$54,742
30Kentucky$52,995
31Vermont$53,214
32Iowa$51,284
33Maryland$53,814
34Ohio$51,951
35Wyoming$47,696
36Tennessee$48,742
37Georgia$48,989
38Montana$50,955
39Virginia$50,696
40Maine$50,227
41New Mexico$51,807
42Wisconsin$50,333
43Florida$43,758
44Missouri$48,208
45Alabama$48,340
46Kansas$49,107
47Arkansas$44,387
48Louisiana$46,040
49Oklahoma$46,711
50South Carolina$41,382
51Indiana$43,298

Expert opinions on the best states for senior paralegals

  • Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior paralegals to find work opportunities?

    Emily Allen-HornblowerEmily Allen-Hornblower LinkedIn profile

    Associate Professor of Classics, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

    I would say, think broadly. Your CV gives you an edge - you chose a course of study that is somewhat atypical, original (and a great conversation starter!) that gave you widely applicable skills.

    I mean, who studies Classics? Who willingly subjects themselves to the rigors of Latin or Greek - or both? Who commits to navigating the intricacies of an interdisciplinary path that combines some of the most vital areas of inquiry for our time: social and cultural history, political science, philosophy, psychology, literary studies, material culture?

    A go-getter. Someone who is passionate. And is Driven.

    And you know what? Employers know that. They see that on your CV, and they think, wow - here is someone interesting and hard-working and who thinks out of the box. And they are right. Xerox saw that. Macy's saw that. The Air Force Intelligence Officer who hired one of our (female!) undergraduates as an officer saw that. The software engineer who hired another one of our grads to join his team as a full-time software engineer saw that. Oxford University Press in New York City saw that - and hired another recent grad as a full-time intern in their Higher Education Editorial Development department. SO: Classics majors, think big and broad. There is no restricted path for what is next.

    So - Graduating seniors in Classics (and other Liberal Arts degrees), as you prepare to go forward into the world, you have good reason to go forth with pride, and enter the world after college, with all its question marks and inevitable bumps in the road, with confidence.
    A Classics major is excellent preparation for the pursuit of a wide range of careers in a large number of fields, including, but not limited to, government, law, education, business, journalism, library science, publishing, foreign service, finance, the entertainment industry, museum, and preservation work, pharmaceutical sciences, music, and the arts, foundations, technology, web design, and labor relations. So think broadly. You've got this.

Senior paralegal best states FAQs

Search for senior paralegal jobs