Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary
The median pay for a paralegals and legal assistants in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR is $38,780/year ($18.64/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $38,780 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $663/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $39K get you in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas
Pay for paralegals and legal assistants in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas runs about 38% below the U.S. median of $63K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $663/month, 24% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas can be a reasonable trade-off for paralegals and legal assistantss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR
Entry-level paralegals and legal assistants (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $46K 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Yes — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 24% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $663/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for paralegals and legal assistants in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paralegals and legal assistants typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,760/month. At HUD’s $663/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Local pay runs 38% below the national median — $39K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas compare to the national average for paralegals and legal assistants?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR?
The median is $38,780 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,330, and experienced paralegals and legal assistants can clear $75,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,767/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $663/month, which eats 24% 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median paralegals and legal assistants salary is worth about $38,780 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.