Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
The median pay for a paralegals and legal assistants in Parkersburg-Vienna, WV is $76,400/year ($36.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.07), which stretches that salary to about $87,745 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $928/month, or 18.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $76K get you in Parkersburg-Vienna?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Parkersburg-Vienna’s Regional Price Parity (87.07). 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 Parkersburg-Vienna
Parkersburg-Vienna sits well above the national pay line for paralegals and legal assistants, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $928/month, 18.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Parkersburg-Vienna offers a genuinely strong financial position for paralegals and legal assistantss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paralegals and legal assistants in metros near Parkersburg-Vienna, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $55K | $62K |
| Huntington-Ashland | $52K | $59K |
| Wheeling | $51K | $58K |
| Morgantown | $62K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
Entry-level paralegals and legal assistants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $71K 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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Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a paralegals and legal assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Parkersburg-Vienna?
Yes — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 18.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $928/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Parkersburg-Vienna?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paralegals and legal assistants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,171/month. At HUD’s $928/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Parkersburg-Vienna?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $76K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Parkersburg-Vienna compare to the national average for paralegals and legal assistants?
Parkersburg-Vienna pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in Parkersburg-Vienna, WV?
The median is $76,400 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,180, and experienced paralegals and legal assistants can clear $106,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Parkersburg-Vienna?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,926/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $928/month, which eats 18.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a paralegals and legal assistants salary go in Parkersburg-Vienna?
Parkersburg-Vienna has a Regional Price Parity of 87.07 (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 $87,745 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.