Salary comparison
Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Seattle vs Boston
Seattle, WA pays about 16.3% more for paralegals and legal assistants on paper — $92,900 vs $79,850. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Seattle comes out ahead by $13,050 a year in real buying power.
Seattle, WA
$92,900
$74,470
$108,160
$44.66
100
$92,900/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Boston, MA
$79,850
$63,850
$98,470
$38.39
100
$79,850/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $13,050 a year (16.3%) in favor of Seattle. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Seattle runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Boston sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Seattle is the better deal by $13,050 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Boston to Seattle for this role, the raise needs to beat 16.3% 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, Seattle or Boston?
Seattle pays $92,900 on median — about 16.3% more than Boston ($79,850). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Seattle. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Seattle gives you roughly$92,900 of real buying power versus $79,850 in the other city.