Earnings for paralegals and legal assistants can vary greatly depending upon skill level, education, and experience. Also important is the nature of the work and the size of the employer along with the the geographic location of the job. In general, though paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms and in less populated areas. The full-time wage-and-salary for paralegals and legal assistants in 2006 for the median annual earnings, including bonuses was $43,040. The middle 50 percent earned between $33,920 and $54,690. The top 10 percent earned more than $67,540, and the bottom 10 percent earned less than $27,450. The Median annual earnings in the follow industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals are:

Federal Government - $56,080
Management Companies - $52,220
Local government - $42,170
Legal services - $41,460
State government - $38,020