Legal Support Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 22.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,099 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 447 | 4,424 | $46,000 | $49,747 | $21,406 56 programs |
| Associate's degree | 517 | 4,606 | $41,377 | $44,669 | $21,832 74 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 88 | 938 | $43,568 | $53,266 | $33,437 27 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 16 | 0 | $56,085 | $55,073 | $27,000 5 programs |
| Master's degree | 5 | 123 | $56,227 | $77,310 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 26 | 338 | $58,818 | $69,929 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerritos College CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $64,743 | $76,742 | Data unavailable |
| Community College of Aurora CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $61,742 | $42,509 | Data unavailable |
| Community College of Allegheny County PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $60,207 | $47,545 | Data unavailable |
| Loyola University Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $59,693 | $63,135 | $31,000 |
| San Diego Miramar College CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $58,831 | Data unavailable | $14,125 |
| Inver Hills Community College MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $57,775 | $61,538 | $20,797 |
| Eastern Gateway Community College · Public · 45 graduates measured | $56,602 | Data unavailable | $15,001 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 17 graduates measured | $56,032 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tacoma Community College WA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $55,859 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bucks County Community College PA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $55,509 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Phoenix College AZ · Public · 33 graduates measured | $52,968 | $56,853 | $19,250 |
| College of DuPage IL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $52,512 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Anne Arundel Community College MD · Public · 24 graduates measured | $52,499 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Marist University NY · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $52,421 | $80,844 | $24,500 |
| Des Moines Area Community College IA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $52,168 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe Community College CO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $60,533 | $53,181 | Data unavailable |
| Northern Virginia Community College VA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $56,751 | $53,989 | $15,828 |
| Mt San Antonio College CA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $54,257 | $58,863 | $8,000 |
| North Hennepin Community College MN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $53,459 | $52,554 | Data unavailable |
| Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City MO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $51,439 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| San Diego Miramar College CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $50,334 | Data unavailable | $15,500 |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville FL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $49,948 | Data unavailable | $18,705 |
| South Coast College CA · Private, for-profit · 25 graduates measured | $49,732 | $66,628 | Data unavailable |
| Fremont University CA · Private, for-profit · 19 graduates measured | $49,223 | $57,539 | $21,950 |
| Oakland Community College MI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $48,897 | $60,091 | Data unavailable |
| MTI College CA · Private, for-profit · 37 graduates measured | $47,967 | $58,367 | $17,443 |
| Roger Williams University RI · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $47,841 | $51,534 | Data unavailable |
| Phoenix College AZ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $47,822 | $51,047 | $17,750 |
| Nashville State Community College TN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $47,787 | Data unavailable | $19,288 |
| Valencia College FL · Public · 28 graduates measured | $47,496 | $51,929 | $19,545 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Williams University RI · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $55,603 | $56,566 | Data unavailable |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead MN · Public · 19 graduates measured | $51,920 | $50,671 | Data unavailable |
| Peirce College PA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $50,350 | $66,978 | Data unavailable |
| Eastern Michigan University MI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $49,757 | $60,196 | Data unavailable |
| University of West Florida FL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $48,093 | $45,338 | $17,278 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 37 graduates measured | $47,835 | $57,262 | $23,340 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton NY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $47,570 | $51,120 | $33,437 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology NY · Public · 49 graduates measured | $47,373 | $47,945 | $12,400 |
| Kent State University at Kent OH · Public · 33 graduates measured | $45,076 | $57,413 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Valley State University MI · Public · 45 graduates measured | $44,377 | $57,728 | $21,500 |
| Stevenson University MD · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $44,337 | $63,656 | $22,000 |
| Clayton State University GA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $43,706 | $49,897 | $34,047 |
| Eastern Kentucky University KY · Public · 36 graduates measured | $43,034 | Data unavailable | $33,128 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 171 graduates measured | $42,476 | $54,760 | $46,582 |
| South University-Savannah GA · Private, for-profit · 19 graduates measured | $42,024 | $49,335 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $63,556 | Data unavailable | $17,680 |
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $59,773 | $62,873 | $18,424 |
| Roosevelt University IL · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $55,613 | Data unavailable | $31,000 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 56 graduates measured | $48,542 | $46,846 | $31,775 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $68,634 | $93,331 | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 70 graduates measured | $53,888 | $70,692 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 102 graduates measured | $66,840 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Webster University MO · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $55,456 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $54,072 | $74,783 | Data unavailable |
| Hamline University MN · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $52,967 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Legal Support Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegals and legal assistants | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers | $58,650 | +2.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Legal support workers, all other | $72,110 | -0.3% | Associate's degree |
| Interpreters and translators | $60,170 | +2.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Court reporters and simultaneous captioners | $72,420 | -0.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Legal secretaries and administrative assistants | $55,570 | -5.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 22.0301 Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary
- 22.0302 Legal Assistant/Paralegal
- 22.0303 Court Reporting and Captioning/Court Reporter
- 22.0304 Court Interpreter
- 22.0305 Scopist
- 22.0399 Legal Support Services, Other