The average annual and hourly salaries for paralegals and legal assistants in the state of Rhode Island are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. The comparison of the salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants among Rhode Island areas is shown in Table 3. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2017 and published in April 2018 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $35,710 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $43,390 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $51,460 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $61,410 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $72,220 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Rhode Island in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $72,220. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $51,460. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $35,710.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of paralegals and legal assistants from 2012 to 2017.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 5-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $51,460 | -3.61% | 18.85% |
| 2016 | $53,320 | 0.99% | - |
| 2015 | $52,790 | 11.54% | - |
| 2014 | $46,700 | 6.87% | - |
| 2013 | $43,490 | 3.98% | - |
| 2012 | $41,760 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in some Rhode Island cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in state of Rhode Island ranges from $48,870 to $51,500. The highest paying area for paralegals and legal assistants in Rhode Island is Providence-Fall River-Warwick with a median annual salary of $51,500. The lowest paying area is Norwich-New London with a median annual salary of $48,870.
| Cities/Areas | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick | |
| Norwich-New London |
