Salary comparison
Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Boston vs New York
Boston, MA pays about 6.0% more for paralegals and legal assistants on paper — $79,850 vs $75,330. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Boston comes out ahead by $4,520 a year in real buying power.
Boston, MA
$79,850
$63,850
$98,470
$38.39
100
$79,850/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
New York, NY
$75,330
$61,040
$97,720
$36.22
100
$75,330/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,520 a year (6.0%) in favor of Boston. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boston runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; New York sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Boston is the better deal by $4,520 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from New York to Boston for this role, the raise needs to beat 6.0% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do paralegals and legal assistants earn more, Boston or New York?
Boston pays $79,850 on median — about 6.0% more than New York ($75,330). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Boston. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Boston gives you roughly$79,850 of real buying power versus $75,330 in the other city.