Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary · New York
Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in New York
Paralegals and Legal Assistants in New York earn a median of $68,410 a year, which is $32.89 an hour. That is $5,520 above the national median of $62,890, a difference of 9 percent. The state employs 34,220.
New York against the US May 2025
| Figure | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $68,410 | $62,890 |
| Median hourly | $32.89 | $30.24 |
| Mean annual | $76,890 | $69,700 |
| 10th percentile | $48,330 | $44,740 |
| 90th percentile | $115,720 | $101,500 |
| Employment | 34,220 | 392,880 |
How New York compares
By median pay, New York ranks 4 of the 12 states this site reports for paralegals and legal assistants. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for paralegals and legal assistants May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $79,400 | $38.17 | 9,460 |
| California | $77,390 | $37.21 | 47,130 |
| New Jersey | $71,500 | $34.38 | 12,010 |
| Virginia | $63,990 | $30.77 | 10,250 |
| Illinois | $63,670 | $30.61 | 14,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,370 | $30.47 | 14,670 |
| Georgia | $62,400 | $30.00 | 14,160 |
| Texas | $62,310 | $29.96 | 29,540 |
| Florida | $61,000 | $29.33 | 40,950 |
| Ohio | $60,420 | $29.05 | 9,270 |
| North Carolina | $57,500 | $27.64 | 13,650 |
Common questions
How much do paralegals and legal assistants make in New York?
The median salary for paralegals and legal assistants in New York is $68,410 a year, or $32.89 an hour. That is $5,520 above the national median of $62,890, a difference of 9 percent. New York employs 34,220 of them.
Is New York a good state to work as a paralegals and legal assistant?
On pay alone, New York ranks 4 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for paralegals and legal assistants in New York?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $48,330 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $115,720 or more. The middle half falls between $57,430 and $94,200.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 23-2011 in New York. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national paralegals and legal assistants salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.