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Paralegal salary
Average paralegal salary
$49,943
Understanding Paralegal Salaries
Paralegals serve critical functions within law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. Their salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific fields of law. In October 2025, the average salary for a paralegal is reported to be $49,943 per year. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while experienced paralegals can command much higher salaries.
Salary by Location
Geographic location plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. For instance, paralegals in metropolitan areas often earn more than those in rural settings. The highest-paying states for paralegals include California, New York, and Illinois. Each state has unique demands and costs of living that contribute to these disparities.
Experience Matters
As paralegals gain experience, their salaries tend to increase. Those with specialized skills or certifications often find themselves in a better position to negotiate salaries. Additionally, working in specific legal fields, such as intellectual property or corporate law, can lead to higher earning potential.
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Where can a Paralegal earn more?
Paralegal salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level paralegal | $35,700 | $17.14 |
| Mid-level paralegal | $47,700 | $22.96 |
| Senior-level paralegal | $50,300 | $24.16 |
Paralegal salary estimates from across the web
Average paralegal salary by state
The highest-paying states for paralegals are California, Washington, and Nevada. The lowest average paralegal salary states are Oklahoma, Indiana, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for paralegals
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $64,103 | $30.82 |
| 2 | Washington | $57,461 | $27.63 |
| 3 | California | $61,386 | $29.51 |
| 4 | Illinois | $53,862 | $25.90 |
| 5 | Colorado | $54,964 | $26.43 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $49,813 | $23.95 |
| 7 | Oregon | $55,839 | $26.85 |
| 8 | Alaska | $54,036 | $25.98 |
| 9 | Nevada | $55,923 | $26.89 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $51,135 | $24.58 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $51,162 | $24.60 |
| 12 | New York | $52,432 | $25.21 |
| 13 | Delaware | $52,439 | $25.21 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $52,471 | $25.23 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $50,918 | $24.48 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $54,802 | $26.35 |
| 17 | Michigan | $47,528 | $22.85 |
| 18 | Arizona | $48,438 | $23.29 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $52,205 | $25.10 |
| 20 | Maryland | $52,739 | $25.36 |
| 21 | Utah | $50,337 | $24.20 |
| 22 | Virginia | $49,391 | $23.75 |
| 23 | Texas | $46,496 | $22.35 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $54,333 | $26.12 |
| 25 | Missouri | $47,031 | $22.61 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $46,258 | $22.24 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $47,821 | $22.99 |
| 28 | Florida | $45,838 | $22.04 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $46,493 | $22.35 |
| 30 | Idaho | $47,845 | $23.00 |
| 31 | Georgia | $44,986 | $21.63 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $45,556 | $21.90 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $42,732 | $20.54 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $45,928 | $22.08 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $44,863 | $21.57 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $42,409 | $20.39 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $44,319 | $21.31 |
| 38 | Iowa | $42,932 | $20.64 |
| 39 | Ohio | $43,015 | $20.68 |
| 40 | Montana | $41,475 | $19.94 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $44,369 | $21.33 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $39,777 | $19.12 |
| 43 | Vermont | $41,715 | $20.06 |
| 44 | Alabama | $42,855 | $20.60 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $39,000 | $18.75 |
| 46 | Kansas | $42,336 | $20.35 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $41,235 | $19.82 |
| 48 | Indiana | $40,354 | $19.40 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,715 | $18.61 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $40,976 | $19.70 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $36,908 | $17.74 |
Highest paying cities for paralegals
The highest-paying cities for paralegals are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $69,365 | $33.35 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $64,126 | $30.83 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $57,832 | $27.80 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $55,295 | $26.58 |
| 5 | Englewood, CO | $54,994 | $26.44 |
| 6 | Hartford, CT | $54,214 | $26.06 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $54,093 | $26.01 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $52,927 | $25.45 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $52,644 | $25.31 |
| 10 | Newark, NJ | $52,413 | $25.20 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $51,391 | $24.71 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $51,166 | $24.60 |
| 13 | McLean, VA | $50,738 | $24.39 |
| 14 | Boston, MA | $50,706 | $24.38 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $50,175 | $24.12 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $48,534 | $23.33 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $47,130 | $22.66 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $47,063 | $22.63 |
| 19 | Tampa, FL | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $45,103 | $21.68 |
Paralegals are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Paralegal salary details
A paralegal's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a paralegal's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,943 | $4,162 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying paralegal jobs
The highest paying types of paralegals are real estate paralegal, corporate paralegal, and paralegal specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Internship | $39,394 | $3,283 | $18.94 | 51,663 |
| Legal Administrator | $47,198 | $3,933 | $22.69 | 56,419 |
| Law Clerk | $55,916 | $4,660 | $26.88 | 75,014 |
| Legal Secretary | $41,725 | $3,477 | $20.06 | 13,182 |
| Legal Clerk | $35,152 | $2,929 | $16.90 | 74,069 |
| Real Estate Paralegal | $68,387 | $5,699 | $32.88 | 24,369 |
Top companies hiring paralegals now:
Which companies pay paralegals the most?
Paralegal salaries at Arnall Golden Gregory and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average paralegal salary at companies like Kane Russell Coleman Logan and Venable are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnall Golden Gregory | $110,405 | $53.08 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $107,501 | $51.68 |
| 3 | Kane Russell Coleman Logan | $97,078 | $46.67 |
| 4 | Venable | $92,684 | $44.56 |
| 5 | Silicon Valley Bank | $90,665 | $43.59 |
| 6 | BNP Paribas | $81,131 | $39.01 |
| 7 | HP | $80,084 | $38.50 |
| 8 | Credit Suisse | $77,642 | $37.33 |
| 9 | MUFG EMEA | $76,716 | $36.88 |
| 10 | Reisenfeld & Associates | $76,044 | $36.56 |
| 11 | Kent Daniels & Associates | $76,031 | $36.55 |
| 12 | Invesco | $75,308 | $36.21 |
| 13 | Prudential Bank | $73,571 | $35.37 |
| 14 | Dorsey & Whitney | $73,385 | $35.28 |
| 15 | Anheuser-Busch | $72,196 | $34.71 |
| 16 | Avid | $71,401 | $34.33 |
| 17 | Neuberger Berman | $70,815 | $34.05 |
| 18 | Cantor Colburn | $70,395 | $33.84 |
| 19 | Cipriani & Werner, P.C. | $70,001 | $33.65 |
| 20 | Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker Llp | $69,958 | $33.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Paralegal salary by industry
The average paralegal salary varies across industries:
- The average paralegal salary in the professional industry is $55,416, the highest of any industry.
- The average paralegal salary in the finance industry is $51,239.
- Paralegals in the government industry earn an average salary of $45,674, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for paralegals
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $55,416 | $26.64 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $51,239 | $24.63 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $49,718 | $23.90 |
| 4 | Retail | $49,252 | $23.68 |
| 5 | Government | $45,674 | $21.96 |
High paying paralegal jobs
Paralegal salary trends
The average paralegal salary has risen by $5,842 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average paralegal earned $44,101 annually, but today, they earn $49,943 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for paralegals over the last decade.
Compare paralegal salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average paralegal salary over time
Compare paralegal salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Paralegal salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,900 | $24.01 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $48,800 | $23.48 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $48,100 | $23.11 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $47,600 | $22.87 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $46,700 | $22.46 | +1.4% |
Recently added paralegal salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Government Services | Foia Paralegal | Wyoming | 06/30/2025 | $50,834 |
| Aresmgmt | Paralegal, Opportunistic Credit, Private Equity & US Liquid Credit | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $90,000 |
| Contact Government Services | Supervisory Paralegal | Pierre, SD | 06/30/2025 | $59,211 |
| First American Financial | Paralegal (Hybrid) | Stamford, CT | 06/29/2025 | $78,930 |
| Roadrunner Transportation Services | Paralegal | Downers Grove, IL | 06/29/2025 | $50,088 |
| Ballard Spahr | Paralegal | Ione, WA | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Russell Investments | Paralegal | Seattle, WA | 06/29/2025 | $70,000 |
| Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP | Paralegal | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $75,132 |
| Unite Here Health | Paralegal II | Aurora, IL | 06/29/2025 | $58,300 |
| Pyramid Consulting | Hybrid Role_ Paralegal_ Tampa, FL 33607 | Tampa, FL | 06/29/2025 | $54,262 |
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