Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Best Industries and Cities to Work
Though our notions of the world of law might have been influenced by hit TV shows like Ally McBeal, Boston Legal and The Good Wife, the fact remains that in our country, law is big business. From a DA who won't let up on getting a conviction for a seasoned white-collar criminal to an intellectual property lawyer who helps a child prodigy copyright an amazing new software program, we're fascinated by those who understand the ins and outs of a legal system that governs and protects everything from business dealings to marital unions.
While lawyers and district attorneys are usually the ones in the legal limelight, virtually every professional with J.D. behind his or her name needs the dedicated assistance of a supporting team to get the job done right. These teams are made up of paralegals and legal assistants, professionals who investigate case-related facts, prepare documents and research pertinent legal precedents to provide support materials for legal proceedings. With positions in a wide variety of organizations across a broad range of industries, paralegals and legal assistants deal with interesting cases on a daily basis.
Read on to learn more about the occupational outlook for both professions, as well as the best industries, states and cities to find legal assistant and paralegal jobs.
The Numbers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, in 2012, the average hourly wage for legal secretaries and paralegals was $22.59 and the average annual wage was $46,990. Interestingly, the lowest annual salaries in these professions are approximately $29,420, and the highest are around $75,410. In the same year, there were approximately 267,000 paralegals and legal assistants in our country. And before 2022, the profession is predicted to experience a 17% growth in candidates, which is faster than average.
Best and Worst States
If total number of individuals in a profession reflects employment opportunities, then there's clear ranking of the best states to find legal assistant and paralegal jobs.
Since a high density of business activity goes hand-in-hand with a large legal sector, it's not surprising that the top five states are California, New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois. These states, each with between 5,870 and 28,500 individuals employed as legal assistants or paralegals, are all home to national and/or international headquarters of large corporations, as well as a high number of Fortune 500 companies.
At the bottom of the list with between 30 and 1,140 individuals employed in the legal supporting professions are Arkansas, Montana, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Puerto Rico and Maine-nearly all sparsely populated areas that rely heavily on agriculture, natural resource mining and tourism as main sources of income and as a consequence, have a lower need for legal services than other areas.
Interestingly, the regions with the highest average wage for legal assistants and paralegals are the District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska and Hawaii: all states with high costs of living and a large government presence.
Best Cities
According to US News Money, the city with the highest average salary for paralegals and legal assistants is San Francisco, where a year's pay comes in at about $68,740. Washington, D.C. is next on the list with an average annual salary of $66,050, and San José in California follows with $65,020 per year. Of course, it's important to bear in mind that compensation depends on many factors, such as an employee's skill and experience level; local cost of living; and not in the least, the size and capital of the employing company.
Best Industries
Not all legal assistants and paralegals work in private law firms or for a DA's office. So what industries offer the best chances of finding a position?
Legal services (private law firms) tops the list with almost 200,000 employed individuals. After that, the biggest sectors are local, federal and state governments, with almost 40,000 employed individuals. Management of enterprises and companies is the next largest sector with almost 6,400 employed individuals. Other industries that employ legal assistants and paralegals include investment pools and funds; lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets; software publishers; and companies that offer securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage.
For anybody thinking of becoming a legal assistant or paralegal, it's important to note that competition for the highest-paying jobs is strong. Candidates with formal training at respected educational institutions, proven experience and superior database management skills are likely to be the most sought after by employers.