The salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in the industry sector of health care and social assistance are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare paralegals and legal assistant salaries in different industries within the health care and social assistance sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $34,220 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $40,690 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $48,820 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $66,730 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $82,130 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in the industry sector of health care and social assistance. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) paralegals and legal assistants is $82,130. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $48,820. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid paralegals and legal assistants is $34,220.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of paralegals and legal assistants in the industry sector of health care and social assistance from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $48,820 | -7.39% | -4.96% |
| 2017 | $52,430 | -0.02% | - |
| 2016 | $52,440 | -0.59% | - |
| 2015 | $52,750 | -2.60% | - |
| 2014 | $54,120 | 3.44% | - |
| 2013 | $52,260 | 1.95% | - |
| 2012 | $51,240 | - | - |
The average salaries of paralegals and legal assistants in six industries in the health care and social assistance sector are shown below. We note that within this industry sector, the salaries vary among different industries. The highest paying industry for paralegals and legal assistant occupations is the specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry with an annual salary $72,450. The lowest paying industry is the services for the elderly and persons with disabilities industry (annual salary $38,430). For detailed paralegals and legal assistant salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].