DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 3,009 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 367,220 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto, CA | $160,000 | +207.9% | 11 | 8 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $127,188 | +144.8% | 10 | 3 |
| San Jose, CA | $71,594 | +37.8% | 12 | 11 |
| Boston, MA | $64,230 | +23.6% | 29 | 20 |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,400 | +20.1% | 41 | 32 |
| Chicago, IL | $62,000 | +19.3% | 49 | 32 |
| New York, NE | $60,000 | +15.5% | 93 | 73 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $59,765 | +15% | 40 | 33 |
| Washington, DC | $58,600 | +12.8% | 60 | 42 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $54,000 | +3.9% | 11 | 6 |
| Alexandria, VA | $53,477 | +2.9% | 14 | 10 |
| Orlando, FL | $52,790 | +1.6% | 19 | 13 |
| New York, NY | $52,000 | +0.1% | 360 | 201 |
| Atlanta, GA | $51,223 | -1.4% | 10 | 8 |
| Flushing, NE | $51,168 | -1.5% | 18 | 15 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $50,000 | -3.8% | 11 | 11 |
| Houston, TX | $50,000 | -3.8% | 33 | 27 |
| City of Industry, CA | $47,986 | -7.6% | 17 | 7 |
| San Gabriel, CA | $47,840 | -7.9% | 11 | 7 |
| BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $47,840 | -7.9% | 11 | 8 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $47,341 | -8.9% | 15 | 11 |
| Irvine, CA | $44,200 | -14.9% | 13 | 9 |
| New Orleans, LA | $42,422 | -18.4% | 10 | 7 |
| Miami, FL | $42,359 | -18.5% | 22 | 18 |
| Flushing, NY | $40,000 | -23% | 89 | 41 |
| Edison, NJ | $40,000 | -23% | 12 | 6 |
| PASADENA, CA | $38,178 | -26.5% | 12 | 12 |
| ALHAMBRA, CA | $37,440 | -27.9% | 17 | 5 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $109,200 | +70.7% | 3 |
| Wisconsin | $80,000 | +41.5% | 4 |
| District of Columbia | $70,000 | -29.5% | 77 |
| Utah | $67,800 | +21.9% | 6 |
| Minnesota | $65,859 | -2.2% | 6 |
| Iowa | $62,400 | +17.1% | 1 |
| Ohio | $61,000 | +3.6% | 3 |
| Idaho | $58,178 | +7.7% | 1 |
| Illinois | $58,167 | -6.6% | 64 |
| Maine | $58,000 | -0.9% | 1 |
| Alabama | $56,420 | +22.5% | 2 |
| Washington | $56,160 | -28% | 27 |
| Nebraska | $56,000 | -8.8% | 147 |
| Kansas | $55,497 | +13.5% | 2 |
| New Mexico | $55,016 | -2.8% | 1 |
| Colorado | $55,016 | -25% | 11 |
| California | $53,560 | -26.6% | 313 |
| Virginia | $53,477 | -12.6% | 61 |
| Nevada | $53,144 | -14.4% | 6 |
| Connecticut | $53,040 | -16.2% | 7 |
| Hawaii | $51,426 | -15.5% | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,418 | -15.6% | 31 |
| Texas | $50,000 | -16.3% | 58 |
| Rhode Island | $49,000 | -10.2% | 1 |
| New York | $48,589 | -26.8% | 506 |
| Massachusetts | $47,611 | -36.5% | 75 |
| Florida | $47,500 | -21.2% | 89 |
| Delaware | $47,460 | -20.9% | 2 |
| Georgia | $47,216 | -14.3% | 27 |
| Michigan | $46,483 | -24.4% | 16 |
| New Jersey | $46,000 | -26.7% | 63 |
| Tennessee | $44,772 | -19% | 2 |
| Maryland | $43,087 | -32.2% | 20 |
| Louisiana | $43,014 | -9.6% | 11 |
| Mississippi | $42,921 | +9.7% | 2 |
| Arkansas | $42,000 | -10.5% | 1 |
| Indiana | $40,228 | -20.6% | 6 |
| North Carolina | $39,998 | -19% | 15 |
| Missouri | $31,600 | -46.2% | 2 |
| Oklahoma | $29,557 | -41.1% | 5 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Paralegals and Legal Assistants positions, 47% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 16% required a Master's degree, and 15% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Sidley Austin (US) LLP | Not specified | $180,000 |
| Clifford Chance US LLP | Not specified | $75,000 |
| Baker & McKenzie LLP | Bachelor's | $93,085 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP | Not specified | $180,000 |
| LATOURVENCESLAU, P.A. DBA VENLAW | High School | $40,000 |
| Jun Wang & Associates, P.C. | Not specified | $39,354 |
| Jones Day | Not specified | $170,000 |
| Brinks Gilson & Lione | Not specified | $145,000 |
| Law Offices of Rakesh Mehrotra | Other | $44,762 |
| LAW OFFICES OF STEVE QI & ASSOCIATES | Not specified | $39,541 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is Manufacturing at $76,868. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Professional and Technical Services at $64,345.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 3,009 DOL filings, the median salary for a Paralegals and Legal Assistants is $51,958, ranging from $41,000 to $70,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $98,990 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Palo Alto, CA offers the highest median at $160,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Paralegals and Legal Assistants positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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