Pay distribution $57,160 10th $64,180 25th $106,990 75th $126,020 90th
Half of Paralegals and Legal Assistants in the Washington metro area earn more than $81,590 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $64,180 and $106,990.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $57,160 $64,180 $81,590 $106,990 $126,020 Hourly $27.48 $30.85 $39.23 $51.44 $60.59
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Washington metro areathis metro area
$81,590 median for Washington metro area; middle half earns $64,180 to $106,990
$89,750 median for District of Columbia; middle half earns $72,240 to $114,920
$62,890 median for United States; middle half earns $50,340 to $80,080
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is −9% vs District of Columbia overall and +30% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $35,900 $57,017 $78,133 $99,250 Beckley, WV — $35,900 Gadsden, AL — $37,980 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $38,780 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $39,270 Decatur, AL — $42,510 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $43,280 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $43,990 Hattiesburg, MS — $45,050 Enid, OK — $45,460 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $45,480 Jonesboro, AR — $45,520 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $45,540 Wausau, WI — $45,590 Lubbock, TX — $45,780 Tuscaloosa, AL — $45,860 Eagle Pass, TX — $46,030 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $46,160 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $46,240 Logan, UT-ID — $46,290 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $46,560 Huntsville, AL — $46,580 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $46,590 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $46,620 Joplin, MO-KS — $46,620 Idaho Falls, ID — $46,640 Pocatello, ID — $46,670 Sumter, SC — $46,750 Twin Falls, ID — $46,870 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $47,040 Laredo, TX — $47,060 Monroe, LA — $47,070 Mansfield, OH — $47,150 Dothan, AL — $47,260 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $47,330 Wichita Falls, TX — $47,360 Fond du Lac, WI — $47,420 Greenville, NC — $47,530 Springfield, OH — $47,680 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $47,690 Dalton, GA — $47,780 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $47,830 Gainesville, FL — $47,840 Jefferson City, MO — $47,840 Manhattan, KS — $47,890 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $47,940 Longview, TX — $47,990 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $48,030 Sherman-Denison, TX — $48,110 Lima, OH — $48,140 Valdosta, GA — $48,150 Florence, SC — $48,230 Cheyenne, WY — $48,260 Montgomery, AL — $48,350 Sandusky, OH — $48,350 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $48,410 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $48,530 Cleveland, TN — $48,640 Saginaw, MI — $48,740 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $48,840 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $48,890 Punta Gorda, FL — $48,910 Homosassa Springs, FL — $48,940 Jackson, TN — $48,970 Lake Charles, LA — $48,970 Eau Claire, WI — $49,050 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $49,090 Altoona, PA — $49,110 Rocky Mount, NC — $49,140 Rome, GA — $49,140 Albany, GA — $49,210 Springfield, MO — $49,210 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $49,290 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $49,300 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $49,330 Casper, WY — $49,360 Columbia, MO — $49,390 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $49,430 Mobile, AL — $49,460 Chambersburg, PA — $49,490 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $49,500 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $49,500 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $49,520 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $49,650 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $49,720 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $49,760 Hinesville, GA — $49,780 Knoxville, TN — $49,780 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $49,780 Goldsboro, NC — $49,890 Lawton, OK — $49,940 Morristown, TN — $49,940 Williamsport, PA — $50,010 Lewiston, ID-WA — $50,040 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $50,140 Wichita, KS — $50,240 Warner Robins, GA — $50,340 Topeka, KS — $50,350 Salisbury, MD — $50,420 Johnson City, TN — $50,450 Jackson, MS — $50,470 Columbus, IN — $50,500 Lynchburg, VA — $50,660 Missoula, MT — $50,670 Winston-Salem, NC — $50,680 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $50,690 Tulsa, OK — $50,740 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $50,780 Muncie, IN — $50,810 Harrisonburg, VA — $50,870 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $50,890 Ocala, FL — $50,900 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $50,950 Terre Haute, IN — $51,070 Evansville, IN — $51,110 Flagstaff, AZ — $51,140 Wheeling, WV-OH — $51,150 Sebring, FL — $51,230 Corpus Christi, TX — $51,290 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $51,340 St. George, UT — $51,350 Sheboygan, WI — $51,410 Green Bay, WI — $51,520 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $51,560 Burlington, NC — $51,620 Jacksonville, NC — $51,630 Niles, MI — $51,820 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $51,880 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $52,000 Lafayette, LA — $52,130 Columbus, GA-AL — $52,280 Tucson, AZ — $52,430 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $52,500 Lawrence, KS — $52,530 Texarkana, TX-AR — $52,590 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $53,090 Birmingham, AL — $53,160 Ames, IA — $53,180 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $53,300 Owensboro, KY — $53,320 Boise City, ID — $53,470 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $53,930 Ogden, UT — $54,020 Bay City, MI — $54,170 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $54,210 Charleston, WV — $54,780 Utica-Rome, NY — $54,850 Kenosha, WI — $54,940 Spartanburg, SC — $55,000 Corvallis, OR — $55,210 Flint, MI — $55,370 Reno, NV — $55,410 Albany, OR — $55,580 Dubuque, IA — $55,740 El Paso, TX — $55,830 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $55,960 Clarksville, TN-KY — $56,010 Erie, PA — $56,040 Wilmington, NC — $56,060 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $56,100 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $56,120 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $56,140 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $56,190 Gainesville, GA — $56,200 Elmira, NY — $56,230 Traverse City, MI — $56,270 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $56,340 Tallahassee, FL — $56,660 Rapid City, SD — $56,720 Alexandria, LA — $56,760 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $56,780 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $56,850 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $56,960 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $57,030 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $57,030 Great Falls, MT — $57,090 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $57,100 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $57,110 Medford, OR — $57,200 Columbia, SC — $57,220 Salem, OR — $57,230 Rochester, NY — $57,250 Tyler, TX — $57,320 Grants Pass, OR — $57,380 Cedar Rapids, IA — $57,420 Appleton, WI — $57,450 Asheville, NC — $57,500 College Station-Bryan, TX — $57,510 Fargo, ND-MN — $57,550 Oklahoma City, OK — $57,550 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $57,600 State College, PA — $57,680 Canton-Massillon, OH — $57,730 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $57,740 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $57,780 Duluth, MN-WI — $57,790 Kokomo, IN — $57,960 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $58,070 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $58,250 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $58,270 Bangor, ME — $58,280 Chico, CA — $58,280 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $58,320 Johnstown, PA — $58,390 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $58,430 Reading, PA — $58,570 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $58,580 Waco, TX — $58,620 Winchester, VA-WV — $58,640 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $58,650 Billings, MT — $58,670 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $58,680 Abilene, TX — $58,700 Modesto, CA — $58,820 Dover, DE — $58,830 Bloomington, IN — $58,850 Fort Wayne, IN — $58,870 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $58,900 Killeen-Temple, TX — $58,970 Baton Rouge, LA — $59,030 Jackson, MI — $59,030 Paducah, KY-IL — $59,110 Bozeman, MT — $59,120 Bowling Green, KY — $59,170 Glens Falls, NY — $59,170 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $59,290 Albuquerque, NM — $59,370 Farmington, NM — $59,380 York-Hanover, PA — $59,400 Minot, ND — $59,430 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $59,470 Lebanon, PA — $59,490 Mankato, MN — $59,490 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $59,540 Redding, CA — $59,620 Decatur, IL — $59,690 Rockford, IL — $59,700 Amarillo, TX — $59,740 Charlottesville, VA — $59,740 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $59,790 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $59,870 Pueblo, CO — $59,880 Odessa, TX — $59,890 St. Cloud, MN — $59,890 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $59,950 Toledo, OH — $59,960 Springfield, IL — $59,990 Roanoke, VA — $60,060 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $60,060 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $60,070 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $60,080 Bismarck, ND — $60,110 Walla Walla, WA — $60,120 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $60,150 Bloomington, IL — $60,160 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $60,220 Akron, OH — $60,290 Santa Fe, NM — $60,320 Bend, OR — $60,340 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $60,340 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $60,360 Fayetteville, NC — $60,370 Port St. Lucie, FL — $60,370 Savannah, GA — $60,370 Vineland, NJ — $60,370 Binghamton, NY — $60,420 Columbus, OH — $60,430 Elizabethtown, KY — $60,540 Ithaca, NY — $60,550 Yuba City, CA — $60,650 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $60,680 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $60,700 Yuma, AZ — $60,700 Madison, WI — $60,800 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $60,800 Cleveland, OH — $60,960 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $61,000 Syracuse, NY — $61,150 Peoria, IL — $61,220 Rochester, MN — $61,230 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $61,270 Merced, CA — $61,320 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $61,350 Grand Junction, CO — $61,420 Lincoln, NE — $61,440 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $61,450 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $61,460 Ann Arbor, MI — $61,480 Lancaster, PA — $61,780 Morgantown, WV — $61,840 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $61,880 St. Louis, MO-IL — $61,970 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $62,040 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $62,090 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $62,130 Kingston, NY — $62,210 Pittsfield, MA — $62,210 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $62,370 Fresno, CA — $62,450 Jacksonville, FL — $62,480 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $62,500 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $62,620 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $62,730 Urban Honolulu, HI — $62,840 Richmond, VA — $62,940 El Centro, CA — $63,000 Yakima, WA — $63,140 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $63,220 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $63,290 New Haven, CT — $63,390 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $63,400 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $63,420 Pittsburgh, PA — $63,620 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $63,640 Lexington Park, MD — $63,770 Kansas City, MO-KS — $63,880 Bellingham, WA — $63,950 Salinas, CA — $63,950 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $64,050 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $64,080 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $64,140 Helena, MT — $64,210 Omaha, NE-IA — $64,230 Portland-South Portland, ME — $64,280 Barnstable Town, MA — $64,310 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $64,330 Las Cruces, NM — $64,370 Visalia, CA — $64,380 Midland, TX — $64,500 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $64,570 Greeley, CO — $64,620 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $64,660 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $64,670 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $64,690 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $64,780 Colorado Springs, CO — $64,830 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $65,640 Springfield, MA — $65,820 Boulder, CO — $66,090 Anchorage, AK — $66,210 Iowa City, IA — $66,400 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $66,540 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $66,720 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $67,480 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $67,500 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $69,440 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $69,600 Carson City, NV — $70,010 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $70,430 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $70,520 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $70,550 Worcester, MA — $70,990 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $71,140 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $71,160 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $71,310 Fairbanks-College, AK — $71,390 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $73,250 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $74,780 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $75,200 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $75,230 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $75,330 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $75,430 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $76,220 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $76,300 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $76,400 Napa, CA — $77,020 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $77,520 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $78,160 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $78,550 Vallejo, CA — $79,280 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $79,850 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $80,500 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $80,930 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $81,590 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $84,030 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $92,900 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $99,250 Washington metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Washington metro area has the 4th-highest published median for this occupation among the 376 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Keep exploring Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Lawyers $195,190 Legal Support Workers, All Other $169,690 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $151,990 Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers $60,630 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $104,000 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators $109,920 Highest-paying metro areas for paralegals and legal assistantss · Highest-paying occupations in Washington Metro
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .