Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
The median pay for a paralegals and legal assistants in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR is $47,690/year ($22.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.36), which stretches that salary to about $53,368 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,147/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway’s Regional Price Parity (89.36). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About paralegals and legal assistants
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What this looks like in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Pay for paralegals and legal assistants in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,147/month, which is 35.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for paralegals and legal assistantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paralegals and legal assistants in metros near Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $49K | $54K |
| Fort Smith | $47K | $54K |
| Jonesboro | $46K | $53K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $63K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Entry-level paralegals and legal assistants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $90K | +43% | 6,400 |
| Washington | $79K | +26% | 9,460 |
| Colorado | $78K | +24% | 5,620 |
| Massachusetts | $78K | +23% | 7,800 |
| California | $77K | +23% | 47,130 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +20% | 7,400 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +14% | 12,010 |
| Alaska | $69K | +9% | 570 |
| New York | $68K | +9% | 34,220 |
| Vermont | $67K | +7% | 660 |
| Maryland | $66K | +4% | 6,460 |
| Nevada | $65K | +3% | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $64K | +2% | 10,250 |
| Connecticut | $64K | +1% | 5,210 |
| Illinois | $64K | +1% | 14,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | +1% | 14,670 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +1% | 1,630 |
| Utah | $63K | +1% | 3,250 |
| Delaware | $63K | +0% | 2,480 |
| Hawaii | $63K | -0% | 1,170 |
| Maine | $62K | -1% | 1,210 |
| Georgia | $62K | -1% | 14,160 |
| Texas | $62K | -1% | 29,540 |
| Michigan | $62K | -1% | 7,730 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | -1% | 1,430 |
| Arizona | $62K | -2% | 7,890 |
| Oregon | $61K | -2% | 4,870 |
| Missouri | $61K | -2% | 7,130 |
| Florida | $61K | -3% | 40,950 |
| Ohio | $60K | -4% | 9,270 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -4% | 4,890 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -5% | 1,740 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -5% | 3,540 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -6% | 730 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -6% | 1,660 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -6% | 6,080 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -7% | 4,780 |
| South Dakota | $58K | -7% | 600 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -9% | 13,650 |
| Montana | $57K | -9% | 1,010 |
| Indiana | $57K | -9% | 5,910 |
| Rhode Island | $56K | -11% | 2,070 |
| Kansas | $55K | -13% | 2,210 |
| Iowa | $55K | -13% | 2,980 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -14% | 7,420 |
| Oklahoma | $53K | -15% | 3,110 |
| Idaho | $50K | -21% | 2,030 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -21% | 600 |
| Arkansas | $47K | -25% | 1,610 |
| Alabama | $47K | -25% | 5,700 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -27% | 2,270 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track paralegals and legal assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a paralegals and legal assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 35.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,147/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paralegals and legal assistants typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,264/month. At HUD’s $1,147/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is paralegals and legal assistant a high-paying job in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $48K here vs. $63K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway compare to the national average for paralegals and legal assistants?
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?
The median is $47,690 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,740, and experienced paralegals and legal assistants can clear $81,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,222/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,147/month, which eats 35.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a paralegals and legal assistants salary go in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway has a Regional Price Parity of 89.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median paralegals and legal assistants salary is worth about $53,368 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do paralegals and legal assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.