Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
The median pay for a paralegals and legal assistants in Missoula, MT is $50,670/year ($24.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $52,540 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,361/month, about 40.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Missoula?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Missoula’s Regional Price Parity (96.44). 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 Missoula
Pay for paralegals and legal assistants in Missoula runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 40% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $59K | $63K |
| Helena | $64K | $67K |
| Bozeman | $59K | $58K |
| Great Falls | $57K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missoula, MT
Entry-level paralegals and legal assistants (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $26K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a paralegals and legal assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 40% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/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 Missoula?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paralegals and legal assistants typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,902/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Missoula?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $51K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for paralegals and legal assistants?
Missoula pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $50,670 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,360, and experienced paralegals and legal assistants can clear $74,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,406/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 40% 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 Missoula?
Missoula has a Regional Price Parity of 96.44 (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 $52,540 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.