Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois

Find Schools Near

Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois

Is Illinois a good place for you to work as a Paralegal or Legal Assistant?

15.6% Jobs Projection
$54,600 Median Salary
1,300 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois is growing faster than average.

  • Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Illinois earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

There were approximately 13,540 workers employed as Paralegals and Legal Assistants in this state in 2018.

There were 12,070 Paralegals and Legal Assistants employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 1,470 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

undefined

The typical state has 4,060 Paralegals and Legal Assistants working in it, which means Illinois has more Paralegals and Legal Assistants than average.

undefined

Job Projections for Illinois

Jobs for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in this state are growing at a rate of 15.6% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 14.6%.

undefined

Illinois Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 1,300 annual job openings, and a total of 12,220 jobs for Illinois Paralegals and Legal Assistants in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 34,700 annual jobs and 327,400 total jobs in 2026.

In 2018 wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants ranged from $32,920 to $83,410 with $54,600 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $15.82 to $40.1. The median hourly rate was $26.25.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $26.29 an hour.

The hourly rate declined by $0.04.

The median salary in Illinois is higher than the nationwide median salary.

undefined

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Paralegals and Legal Assistants.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 11,680 $55,080
St. Louis, MO-IL 2,550 $54,030
Peoria, IL 270 $54,470
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 240 $45,240
Springfield, IL 230 $53,290
Champaign-Urbana, IL 120 $45,540
Carbondale-Marion, IL 70 $33,940

View the list below to see where most Paralegals and Legal Assistants work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 33,390 $57,290
Florida 30,230 $47,550
New York 25,500 $54,400
Texas 24,290 $52,220
Illinois 13,540 $54,600
Pennsylvania 12,440 $49,710
North Carolina 10,160 $43,530
Virginia 9,960 $47,810
Ohio 9,150 $45,320
Georgia 9,140 $51,180
New Jersey 8,120 $55,770
Massachusetts 7,330 $56,660
Arizona 7,280 $46,520
Maryland 7,060 $53,530
Washington 6,220 $57,670
Michigan 6,110 $47,420
South Carolina 6,060 $41,850
District of Columbia 5,330 $80,030
Colorado 5,250 $56,710
Minnesota 4,890 $54,810

Below are the states where Paralegals and Legal Assistants get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $80,030
Connecticut $60,240
Alaska $58,170
Washington $57,670
California $57,290
Nevada $57,120
Colorado $56,710
Massachusetts $56,660
New Jersey $55,770
Minnesota $54,810

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.