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This question is about paralegal salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Paralegal?
A good starting salary for a paralegal is $33,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a paralegal in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for paralegals is $46,712, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a paralegal can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Paralegal Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level paralegal earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Alaska | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Washington | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Hawaii | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| California | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Oregon | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Colorado | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| District of Columbia | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Connecticut | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Utah | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| New Hampshire | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Nevada | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Massachusetts | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Minnesota | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Idaho | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Illinois | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| New York | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Arizona | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| New Jersey | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| North Dakota | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Nebraska | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Montana | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Mississippi | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Texas | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Vermont | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Maine | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| New Mexico | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| West Virginia | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Florida | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Michigan | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Rhode Island | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Delaware | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Maryland | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Wisconsin | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Iowa | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Kansas | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Georgia | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Virginia | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Wyoming | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Arkansas | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| North Carolina | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Alabama | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Missouri | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Oklahoma | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| South Dakota | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Louisiana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Kentucky | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Indiana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Ohio | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Tennessee | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| South Carolina | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Paralegal Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level paralegal job is above the national average. Topping the list is Seattle, WA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Seattle, WA | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| San Francisco, CA | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Englewood, CO | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Washington, DC | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Boston, MA | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| New York, NY | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Chicago, IL | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
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