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Salary comparison

Legal Support Workers, All Other vs. Lawyers: Who Earns More?

Lawyers out-earn Legal Support Workers, All Other by $88K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Legal Support Workers, All Other land at $72,110 and Lawyers at $159,670. The education gap is real: legal support workers, all other programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while lawyer programs require doctoral or professional degree. Top-paying state for Legal Support Workers, All Other is Virginia ($179,960); for Lawyers it's New York ($207,860).

Legal Support Workers, All Other
Lawyers
Median salary
$72,110
$159,670
Hourly rate
$34.67/hr
$76.76/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$43,800
$78,360
Senior level (90th %)
$179,960
$351,600
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Doctoral or professional degree
U.S. employment
46,760
754,500
Job growth (10-year)
-1.2%
4.1%
Category
Legal
Legal
Top-paying state
Virginia
New York

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Legal Support Workers, All Other median pay.

State
Legal Support Workers, All Other
Lawyers
Virginia
$179,960
$167,210
District of Columbia
$88,480
$195,190
New Jersey
$88,210
$161,430
Minnesota
$86,940
$155,140
California
$85,830
$195,080
Washington
$85,630
$154,130
Alaska
$85,000
$149,940
Delaware
$81,170
$173,510
Massachusetts
$77,830
$176,680
New York
$76,520
$207,860
Pennsylvania
$75,190
$157,180
Colorado
$66,660
$168,520
Illinois
$63,250
$160,800
Texas
$63,140
$154,200
Nevada
$60,820
$150,510

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Legal Support Workers, All Other or Lawyers?

Lawyers earn more nationally. The median is $72,110 for Legal Support Workers, All Other versus $159,670 for Lawyers, a difference of $88K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Legal Support Workers, All Other or Lawyers?

Lawyers has the better 10-year outlook at 4.1% projected growth, compared to -1.2% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Legal Support Workers, All Other or Lawyers?

Legal Support Workers, All Other typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Lawyers requires doctoral or professional degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Legal Support Workers, All Other get paid the most?

Virginia is the top-paying state for Legal Support Workers, All Other at $179,960/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Legal Support Workers, All Other vs. Lawyers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Virginia, Legal Support Workers, All Other earn $179,960 vs. $167,210 for Lawyers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Legal Support Workers, All Other salary breakdownView →Full Lawyers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Legal Support Workers, All Other by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Lawyers by take-home payExplore →How to become a legal support workers, all otherGuide →How to become a lawyersGuide →