Top law firms and a booming legal services industry – New Jersey has it all for the aspiring and practicing paralegal. Just some of the powerhouse law firms in the Garden State include:
- Riker Danzig, Morristown
- McCarter & English, Newark & East New Brunswick
- Gibbons PC, Newark
- Cole Schotz, Hackensack
- Bressler, Amery & Ross, Florham Park
A prime location on the Eastern seaboard, a stone’s throw from the nation’s economic epicenter of NYC, and a hub for the pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, and food processing industries has made the Garden State a prime spot for paralegals, both in terms of professional opportunities and pay.
Paralegal Job Market Trends in New Jersey
There’s no other metro area in the world that can compare to the New York-Newark-Jersey City when it comes to paralegal jobs. This major metro area is ranked first in the nation for its employment level of paralegals, which 27,600 as of May 2020.
But that’s not all. Salaries for New Jersey’s paralegals rise above the national average. As of May 2020, the average salary for New Jersey paralegals was $61,150, or $29.40 per hour – that’s about $5,000 higher than the national average for this profession.
The top earners here (top 10%) – those who have extensive experience, including experience in one or more law specialties like immigration law, civil rights law, litigation, or family law— earn much, much more. During this time, New Jersey paralegals at this level earned about $91,610, or $44.04 per hour.
Average Paralegal Salary in New Jersey by City
Trenton comes out on way on top for its pay of paralegals in New Jersey, both at the average and top 10% marks, as of May 2020, although both Newark and the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro region also report salaries that exceed the state average.
New York-Newark-Jersey City:
Average: $64,850 ($31.18)
Top 10% – $99,560 ($47.87)
Atlantic City-Hammond:
Average – $49,480 ($23.79 hourly)
Top 10% – $64,410 ($30.97 hourly)
Newark:
Average – $64,850 ($31.18 hourly)
Top 10% – $99,560 ($47.87 hourly)
Trenton:
Average – $77,970 ($37.48 hourly)
Top 10% – $126,330 ($60.74 hourly)
Vineland-Bridgeton:
Average – $52,850 ($25.41 hourly)
Top 10% – $78,340 ($37.67 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.