Massachusetts is home to internationally renowned universities, a thriving arts and recreation sector, strong high tech/biotech, software, biopharmaceuticals, construction, and advanced manufacturing industries, and plenty of exciting opportunities for paralegals who bring employers a specialized skillset in an area like employment law, commercial litigation, or intellectual property law.
Paralegals here are supported by Massachusetts’ 42,720 active lawyers (as of 2021) – a number which has remained steady in recent years, according to the American Bar Association.
Paralegal Job Market Trends in Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ paralegal jobs totaled about 7,110 as of May 2020, which far outpaces the total number of paralegal jobs in the neighboring states of Vermont (630), New Hampshire (1,120), and Delaware (1,620).
During this time, the average salary for Massachusetts paralegals was $62,160, or $29.88 per hour, which beat out the national average for this profession by about $6,000 annually. Even more impressive, the top earners here (top 10%) enjoyed a salary of about $99,470, or $47.82 per hour, which reveals plenty of room for growth and advancement in Massachusetts’ paralegal profession for those with significant experience, industry credentials, and specialized knowledge of one or more areas of law, such as family law, commercial litigation, environmental law, and civil rights law.
Average Paralegal Salary in Massachusetts by City
Strong industry sectors like information and communications technology, education, and healthcare have allowed average salaries for paralegals in Massachusetts to remain strong. However, the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua metro region reported the highest average salary for paralegals of $64,220. It was also the only metro region in the commonwealth to exceed $100,000 among the top earners.
Barnstable Town:
Average – $51,680 ($24.85 hourly)
Top 10% – $69,310 ($33.32 hourly)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua:
Average – $64,220 ($30.88 hourly)
Top 10% – $103,300 ($49.66 hourly)
Leominster-Gardner:
Average – $48,400 ($23.27 hourly)
Top 10% – $62,240 ($29.92 hourly)
New Bedford:
Average – $58,870 ($28.30 hourly)
Top 10% – $78,470 ($37.73 hourly)
Springfield:
Average – $51,380 ($24.70 hourly)
Top 10% – $72,410 ($34.81 hourly)
Worcester:
Average – $59,020 ($28.38 hourly)
Top 10% – $79,670 ($38.30 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.