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Salary comparison

Legal Support Workers, All Other vs. Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Who Earns More?

Legal Support Workers, All Others out-earn Paralegals and Legal Assistantss by $9K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Legal Support Workers, All Others land at $72,110 and Paralegals and Legal Assistantss at $62,890. The education gap is real: legal support workers, all other programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while paralegals and legal assistant programs require associate's degree. Top-paying state for Legal Support Workers, All Others is Virginia ($179,960); for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss it's District of Columbia ($89,750).

Legal Support Workers, All Other
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Median salary
$72,110
$62,890
Hourly rate
$34.67/hr
$30.24/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$43,800
$44,740
Senior level (90th %)
$179,960
$101,500
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Associate's degree
U.S. employment
46,760
392,880
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Legal
Legal
Top-paying state
Virginia
District of Columbia

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
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Virginia
$179,960
$63,990
District of Columbia
$88,480
$89,750
New Jersey
$88,210
$71,500
Minnesota
$86,940
$75,570
California
$85,830
$77,390
Washington
$85,630
$79,400
Alaska
$85,000
$68,700
Massachusetts
$77,830
$77,640
New York
$76,520
$68,410
Pennsylvania
$75,190
$63,370
Nebraska
$69,010
$63,250
Colorado
$66,660
$78,190
Vermont
$66,100
$67,160
Illinois
$63,250
$63,670
Nevada
$60,820
$64,680

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Legal Support Workers, All Others or Paralegals and Legal Assistantss?

Legal Support Workers, All Others earn more nationally. The median is $72,110 for Legal Support Workers, All Others versus $62,890 for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss, a difference of $9K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Legal Support Workers, All Other or Paralegals and Legal Assistants?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Legal Support Workers, All Other or Paralegals and Legal Assistants?

Legal Support Workers, All Other typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Paralegals and Legal Assistants requires associate's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

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

Virginia is the top-paying state for Legal Support Workers, All Others 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. Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Virginia, Legal Support Workers, All Others earn $179,960 vs. $63,990 for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Legal Support Workers, All Other salary breakdownView →Full Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary breakdownView →Best cities for Legal Support Workers, All Others by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss by take-home payExplore →How to become a legal support workers, all otherGuide →How to become a paralegals and legal assistantsGuide →