New York is the global leader in the legal industry, and to say that the prospects for paralegals throughout the state are excellent would be an understatement.
Though most paralegals are still found in law firms, corporate legal teams are more often delegating tasks to paralegals as a cost saving measure. From Pfizer to NASDAQ, New York City is the global headquarters for some of the largest corporations on the planet. Many of those companies have massive legal departments filled with hundreds of paralegals and lawyers. In fact, the most lucrative jobs for paralegals are found in some pretty unlikely industry sectors, including aerospace, computer manufacturing, pharmaceutical, software, and electronic component manufacturing.
Paralegal Job Market Trends in New York
No surprise here – New York is among the top states in the nation for everything from jobs to salaries for paralegals. As of May 2020, the Empire State was home to 27,540 paralegals, which ranked it fourth in the nation for both its employment level and its concentration of paralegals.
During this same period, New York also ranked fifth in the nation for its pay of paralegals, which averaged $62,530, or $30.06 per hour – that’s about $6,000 higher than the national average. With experience, industry credentials, and plenty of expertise in one or more areas of law, you climb the professional ladder and enjoy a salary that more closely reflects the top 10%, which was $96,000 as of May 2020.
Average Paralegal Salary in New York by City
Easily topping the nation for its number of paralegal jobs (27,600), the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area is a force to be reckoned with. It also posted the highest salaries for paralegals as of May 2020, both at the average level and at the top 10%.
Albany-Schenectady-Troy:
Average – $55,290 ($26.58 hourly)
Top 10% – $76,430 ($36.74 hourly)
Binghamton:
Average – $47,470 ($22.82 hourly)
Top 10% – $62,860 ($30.22 hourly)
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls:
Average – $48,530 ($23.33 hourly)
Top 10% – $66,360 ($31.90 hourly)
Ithaca:
Average – $50,990 ($24.52 hourly)
Top 10% – $66,560 ($32.00 hourly)
Kingston:
Average – $55,330 ($26.60 hourly)
Top 10% – $85,550 ($41.13 hourly)
New York-Newark-Jersey City:
Average – $64,850 ($31.18 hourly)
Top 10% – $99,560 ($47.87 hourly)
Rochester:
Average – $52,190 ($25.09 hourly)
Top 10% – $77,020 ($37.03 hourly)
Syracuse:
Average – $45,990 ($22.11 hourly)
Top 10% – $66,080 ($31.77 hourly)
Utica-Rome:
Average – $43,510 ($20.92 hourly)
Top 10% – $64,050 ($30.80 hourly)
May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary, growth, and job market trends for paralegals and legal assistants. Figures represent state data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2021.