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Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California

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Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California

Considering a career as a Paralegal or Legal Assistant in California?

18.0% Jobs Projection
$57,290 Median Salary
3,790 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California is growing faster than average.

  • Paralegals and Legal Assistants in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

33,390 people worked as Paralegals and Legal Assistants in 2018 in this state.

There were 30,790 Paralegals and Legal Assistants employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 2,600 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 4,060 Paralegals and Legal Assistants working in it, which means California has more Paralegals and Legal Assistants than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in this state are growing at a rate of 18.0% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 14.6%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 3,790 annual Paralegals and Legal Assistants job openings in California, and 35,400 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 34,700 annual jobs and 327,400 total jobs in 2026.

In 2018 wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants ranged from $32,220 to $97,630 with $57,290 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $15.49 to $46.94. The median hourly rate was $27.55.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $27.55 an hour in 2017.

Wages between 2017 and 2018 did not increase or decrease.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Paralegals and Legal Assistants.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 15,960 $50,520
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,540 $64,940
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2,840 $67,950
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,880 $87,950
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,740 $57,500
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 1,660 $60,160
Fresno, CA 660 $49,640
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 340 $70,890
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 300 $54,370
Bakersfield, CA 290 $45,740
Stockton-Lodi, CA 260 $49,020
Santa Rosa, CA 210 $65,680
Modesto, CA 190 $43,050
Salinas, CA 190 $54,890
Chico, CA 190 $44,210
Visalia-Porterville, CA 140 $40,530
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 100 $50,530
Merced, CA 80 $54,050
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 70 $52,620
El Centro, CA 70 $41,370
Yuba City, CA 50 $53,140
Napa, CA 50 $71,540

The table below shows the states where most Paralegals and Legal Assistants work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 33,390 $57,290
Florida 30,230 $47,550
New York 25,500 $54,400
Texas 24,290 $52,220
Illinois 13,540 $54,600
Pennsylvania 12,440 $49,710
North Carolina 10,160 $43,530
Virginia 9,960 $47,810
Ohio 9,150 $45,320
Georgia 9,140 $51,180
New Jersey 8,120 $55,770
Massachusetts 7,330 $56,660
Arizona 7,280 $46,520
Maryland 7,060 $53,530
Washington 6,220 $57,670
Michigan 6,110 $47,420
South Carolina 6,060 $41,850
District of Columbia 5,330 $80,030
Colorado 5,250 $56,710
Minnesota 4,890 $54,810

Below are the states where Paralegals and Legal Assistants get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $80,030
Connecticut $60,240
Alaska $58,170
Washington $57,670
California $57,290
Nevada $57,120
Colorado $56,710
Massachusetts $56,660
New Jersey $55,770
Minnesota $54,810

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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