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Main Menu : Salaries of Legal Professionals 2011 (USA) The following matrix provides a breakdown of salaries of legal professionals working in the United States.  The data reflect the low to high range of the national averages. Differences in salaries as they vary among legal markets may be determined by multiplying the salary by the percentage indicated in the Regional Variances chart at the bottom of this page.  We are hopeful you find this information useful. Attorney (Law Firm) Licensed (10-12 yrs) Licensed (4-9 yrs) Licensed (1-3 yrs) First Year Paralegal Senior/Supervising Midlevel Junior Case Clerk Legal Management Administrator/Office Legal Secretary Senior Executive (12+ yrs) Midlevel (7-11 yrs) Legal (3-6 yrs) Junior (1-2 yrs) Corporate Positions (In-House) In-House Attorney In-House Paralegal In-House Legal Secretary Legal Specialist Legal Specialist General Administrative General Administrative Definitions and Variances Regional Variances Law Firm Definitions   Attorney   2010 2011 % Change Senior Attorney (10-12 years' exp.)   Large law firm $156,250 - $237,000 $157,500 - $240,750 1.3% Midsize law firm $127,750 - $210,000 $132,500 - $218,750 4.0% Small/midsize law firm $103,250 - $159,000 $108,000 - $163,000 3.3% Small law firm $88,250 - $145,000 $89,750 - $147,500 1.7% Licensed Attorney (4-9 years' exp.)   Large law firm $137,500 - $188,500 $137,500 - $189,000 0.2% Midsize law firm $102,000 - $157,000 $106,250 - $163,250 4.1% Small/midsize law firm $76,750 - $139,000 $77,250 - $145,000 3.0% Small law firm $62,000 - $116,000 $63,250 - $118,000 1.8% Licensed Attorney (1-3 years' exp.)   Large law firm $106,000 - $147,750 $107,500 - $148,000 0.7% Midsize law firm $76,750 - $113,000 $78,750 - $116,250 2.8% Small/midsize law firm $62,250 - $94,250 $62,750 - $97,500 2.4% Small law firm $52,000 - $84,250 $53,250 - $85,750 2.0% First Year Associate   Large law firm $106,500 - $131,250 $107,250 - $132,000 0.6% Midsize law firm $71,500 - $100,750 $73,500 - $102,000 1.9% Small/midsize law firm $55,250 - $82,250 $56,500 - $83,000 1.5% Small law firm $49,750 - $73,000 $50,250 - $73,500 0.8%   Paralegal   2010 2011 % Change Senior/Supervising Paralegal (7+ years' exp.)   Large law firm $59,750 - $80,500 $61,000 - $81,250 1.4% Midsize law firm $53,500 - $68,500 $55,000 - $70,750 3.1% Small/midsize law firm $47,250 - $62,500 $48,500 - $63,750 2.3% Small law firm $43,750 - $55,500 $44,250 - $56,750 1.8% Midlevel Paralegal (4-6 years' exp.)   Large law firm $50,250 - $63,500 $51,000 - $64,250 1.3% Midsize law firm $46,750 - $60,000 $48,250 - $62,500 3.7% Small/midsize law firm $43,750 - $54,500 $44,000 - $57,250 3.1% Small law firm $37,750 - $49,500 $37,750 - $51,750 2.6% Junior Paralegal (2-3 years' exp.)   Large law firm $39,750 - $50,500 $40,000 - $51,750 1.7% Midsize law firm $37,500 - $49,250 $38,250 - $50,750 2.6% Small/midsize law firm $34,250 - $44,250 $35,000 - $45,250 2.2% Small law firm $31,000 - $39,750 $32,000 - $40,500 2.5% Case Clerk (0-2 years' exp.)   Large law firm $31,500 - $38,500 $31,750 - $39,250 1.4% Midsize law firm $30,500 - $38,250 $30,750 - $39,750 2.5% Small/midsize law firm $28,500 - $34,000 $29,000 - $34,750 2.0% Small law firm $26,000 - 31,750 $26,750 - $32,000 1.7%   Legal Management   2010 2011 % Change Administrator/Office Manager   Large law firm $81,250 - $133,000 $82,250 - $134,250 1.2% Midsize law firm $64,750 - $95,750 $67,750 - $99,000 1.5% Small/midsize law firm $55,500 - $79,750 $56,750 - $80,250 1.3% Small law firm $46,750 - $63,250 $47,000 - $64,000 0.9%   Legal Secretary   2010 2011 % Change Senior Executive Legal Secretary (12+ years' exp.)   Large law firm $53,250 - $69,500 $53,750 - $67,750 1.0% Midsize law firm $52,000 - $61,500 $52,500 - $63,750 1.3% Small/midsize law firm $45,500 - $57,500 $46,000 - $57,750 1.7% Small law firm $42,250 - $52,000 $42,750 - $53,750 1.3% Midlevel Legal Secretary (7-11 years' exp.)   Large law firm $49,250 - $61,250 $50,500 - $62,000 1.8% Midsize law firm $46,000 - $57,250 $46,250 - $58,250 2.2% Small/midsize law firm $42,000 - $53,500 $43,500 - $54,750 1.8% Small law firm $39,500 - $49,750 $42,000 - $51,500 2.8% Legal Secretary (3-6 years' exp.)   Large law firm $42,500 - $56,750 $43,000 - $57,250 1.0% Midsize law firm $41,000 - $52,500 $42,500 - $53,000 2.1% Small/midsize law firm $39,500 - $48,750 $40,000 - $49,250 1.1% Small law firm $34,000 - $45,250 $34,750 - $46,000 1.9% Junior Legal Secretary (1-2 years' exp.)   Large law firm $35,000 - $43,750 $35,250 - $44,000 0.6% Midsize law firm $34,000 - $42,250 $34,500 - $43,250 2.0% Small/midsize law firm $30,750 - $38,500 $31,250 - $39,000 1.4% Small law firm $28,750 - $36,500 $29,000 - $37,250 1.5%   Corporate Positions (In-House)   2010 2011 % Change In-House Attorney   Licensed Attorney (10-12 years' exp.) $124,000 - $215,500 $126,250 - $218,250 1.5% Licensed Attorney (4-9 years' exp.) $95,750 - $173,000 $94,000 - $178,250 2.2% Licensed Attorney (1-3 years' exp.) $74,500 - $115,000 $74,500 - $116,000 1.7% First Year Associate $63,750 - $94,000 $63,750 - $95,500 1.3% In-House Paralegal   Senior/Supervising Paralegal (7+ years' exp.) $52,750 - $79,000 $53,000 - $82,500 2.8% Midlevel Paralegal (4-6 years' exp.) $45,750 - $62,750 $46,000 - $64,500 1.8% Junior Paralegal (2-3 years' exp.) $39,250 - $50,000 $39,750 - $51,000 1.7% Case Clerk (0-2 years' exp.) $31,500 - $40,250 $31,750 - $40,750 1.0% In-House Legal Secretary   Senior Executive Legal Secretary (7+ years' exp.) $49,250 - $64,000 $50,250 - $64,750 1.5% Legal Secretary (3-6 years' exp.) $41,250 - $53,000 $42,000 - $53,500 1.3% Junior Legal Secretary (1-2 years' exp.) $36,500 - $41,250 $36,750 - $41,750 1.0%   Legal Specialist   2010 2011 % Change Legal Specialist   Automated Litigation Support Manager $51,000 - $90,000 $52,500 - $92,250 2.7% Docket/Calendar Clerk $31,000 - $46,500 $31,250 - $47,250 1.3% Librarian $42,000 - $67,000 $43,000 - $67,750 1.6% Law Library Clerk $29,500 - $40,500 $29,750 - $41,250 1.4% Records Clerk $26,750 - $36,500 $27,000 - $37,000 1.2% Contract Administrator   Contract Administrator (4+ years' exp.) $55,500 - $88,250 $56,000 - $96,750 3.6% Contract Administrator (1-3 years' exp.) $44,500 - $59,000 $45,250 - $61,750 2.6%   General Administrative   2010 2011 % Change General Administrative   Legal Word Processor $40,000 - $52,750 $40,250 - $53,500 1.1% Document Coder $29,750 - $40,000 $30,25 - $40,500 1.4% Office Clerk $26,750 - $36,000 $27,000 - $36,500 1.2% Legal Receptionist $27,000 - $36,500 $27,250 - $37,000 1.2%   The salary ranges indicated above reflect the national averages for legal professionals within the United States. To determine the salary range for a given locality, multiply the salary by the locality percentage listed below. Please note that the locality index percentages listed below are based upon salary data from all industries (i.e. the percentages listed below are not specific to the legal industry); therefore, actual market values for legal professionals' salaries in a given locality may vary based upon market conditions. Regional Variances (Listed in %)   New England States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont Boston, MA 132.0 Hartford, CT 118.0 Manchester, NH 110.0 Newhaven, CT 111.0 Portland, ME 95.0 Providence, RI 97.0 Springfield, MA 96.0 Stamford, CT/White Plains, NY 131.0   Middle Atlantic States: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Albany, NY 97.2 Buffalo, NY 94.4 Harrisburg, PA 95.0 Long Island, NY 135.0 Mount Laurel, NJ 93.0 New York, NY 141.0 Paramus, NJ 119.0 Philadelphia, PA 115.0 Pittsburgh, PA 95.8 Rochester, NY 91.7 Syracuse, NY 90.3 Woodbridge, NJ 93.0   South Atlantic States: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia Atlanta, GA 110.0 Baltimore, MD 103.0 Charleston, SC 95.0 Charlotte, NC 104.0 Columbia, SC 95.0 Fort Mayers, FL 87.6 Greensboro, NC 97.0 Greenville, SC 90.0 Jacksonville, FL 94.5 Macon, GA 72.0 Melbourne, FL 94.0 Miami, FL 110.0 Orlando, FL 101.5 Raleigh, NC 104.0 Richmond, VA 97.0 Savannah, GA 78.0 St. Petersburg, FL 94.0 Tampa, FL 94.0 Tysons Corner, VA 130.0 Washington, DC 130.0 Wilmington, DE 102.0   East North Central States: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin Akron, OH 89.9 Ann Arbor, MI 96.4 Appleton, WI 82.0 Canton, OH 76.7 Chicago, IL 123.0 Cincinnati, OH 96.4 Cleveland, OH 101.0 Columbus, OH 95.0 Dayton, OH 87.0 Detroit, MI 96.6 Grand Rapids, MI 82.8 Green Bay, WI 86.0 Lansing, MI 81.1 Madison, WI 94.5 Milwaukee, WI 97.0 Naperville, IL 112.0 Rockford, IL 86.2 Springfield, IL 90.0 Toledo, OH 85.7 Waukesha, WI 96.5 Youngstown. OH 77.0   West North Central States: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota Bloomington, MN 105.0 Cedar Falls/Waterloo, IA 80.7 Cedar Rapids, IA 90.0 Davenport, IA 89.0 Des Moines, IA 96.0 Duluth, MN 79.2 Kansas City, MO 97.0 Lincoln, NE 78.2 Minneapolis, MN 105.0 Omaha, NE 94.0 Rochester, MN 100.0 Sioux City, IA 78.2 St. Cloud, MN 77.0 St. Joseph, MO 91.0 St. Louis, MO 100.0 St. Paul, MN 99.0   East South Central States: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee Birmingham, AL 92.5 Chatanooga, TN 88.0 Knoxville, TN 88.0 Lexington, KY 88.0 Louisville, KY 91.0 Memphis, TN 95.0 Mobile, AL 83.0 Morristown, TN 73.8 Nashville, TN 95.0   West South Central States: Arkansas, Louisana, Oklahoma, Texas Austin, TX 102.0 Dallas, TX 105.0 El Paso, TX 70.0 Fayetteville, AR 92.0 Fort Worth, TX 100.0 Houston, TX 103.7 Little Rock, AR 90.0 Midland, TX 95.0 New Orleans, LA 98.2 Oklahoma City, OK 89.0 San Antonio, TX 93.1 Tulsa, OK 92.0   Mountain States: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming Albuquerque, NM 86.7 Boise, ID 86.1 Boulder, CO 113.2 Colorado Springs, CO 90.0 Denver, CO 102.7 Fort Collins, CO 93.0 Greeley, CO 84.0 Las Vegas, NV 96.0 Loveland, CO 90.0 Phoenix, AZ 106.0 Pueblo, CO 75.0 Reno, NV 94.0 Salt Lake City, UT 100.0 Tucson, AZ 99.0   Pacific States: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington Fresno, CA 85.0 Honolulu, HI 92.0 Irvine, CA 124.0 Los Angeles, CA 124.0 Oakland, CA 127.0 Ontario, CA 109.0 Portland, OR 100.0 Sacramento, CA 103.0 San Diego, CA 114.0 San Francisco, CA 135.0 San Jose, CA 132.0 Santa Barbara, CA 120.0 Santa Rosa, CA 96.0 Seattle, WA 118.0 Spokane, WA 82.0 Stockton, CA 85.0   Law Firm Definitions # of attorneys Large law firm 75+ Midsize law firm 35-75 Small/midsize law firm 10-35 Small law firm Up to 10 Attorneys   Salary and economic data presented on this page come from compensation consultants, industry organizations, and trade publications, as well as from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Related Pages Employment Trends for Recent Graduates, 1985-2001 Law School Rankings: Employment Rate at Graduation Law School Rankings: Employment Rate 9 Months After Graduation Cost of Living Calculator

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