Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
The median pay for a paralegals and legal assistants in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT is $64,670/year ($31.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.87), that's roughly $64,112 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,241/month, or 29.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in Salt Lake City-Murray?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salt Lake City-Murray’s Regional Price Parity (100.87). 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 Salt Lake City-Murray
Paralegals and legal assistants pay in Salt Lake City-Murray tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $63K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,241/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.87) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paralegals and legal assistants in metros near Salt Lake City-Murray, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Provo-Orem-Lehi | $48K | $49K |
| Ogden | $54K | $54K |
| St. George | $51K | $53K |
| Logan | $46K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Entry-level paralegals and legal assistants (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $54K 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 29.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,241/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Salt Lake City-Murray?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paralegals and legal assistants typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,888/month. At HUD’s $1,241/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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $63K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Salt Lake City-Murray compare to the national average for paralegals and legal assistants?
Salt Lake City-Murray pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?
The median is $64,670 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,130, and experienced paralegals and legal assistants can clear $102,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Salt Lake City-Murray?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,240/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,241/month, which eats 29.3% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Salt Lake City-Murray has a Regional Price Parity of 100.87 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median paralegals and legal assistants salary is worth about $64,112 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.