Paralegal earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$40.10 per hour

$83,410 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$36.43 per hour

$75,780 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$29.33 per hour

$61,000 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$23.19 per hour

$48,230 per year

10th percentile

Starting level paralegal earnings begin at:

$18.67 per hour

$38,830 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Paralegal salary by state

State Name Average Salary
District of Columbia $89,750
Washington $79,400
Colorado $78,190
Massachusetts $77,640
California $77,390
Minnesota $75,570
New Jersey $71,500
Alaska $68,700
New York $68,410
Vermont $67,160
Maryland $65,640
Nevada $64,680
Virginia $63,990
Connecticut $63,820
Illinois $63,670
Pennsylvania $63,370
Nebraska $63,250
Utah $63,220
Delaware $63,110
Hawaii $62,840
Maine $62,420
Georgia $62,400
Texas $62,310
Michigan $62,170
New Hampshire $62,040
Arizona $61,630
Oregon $61,490
Missouri $61,410
Florida $61,000
Ohio $60,420
Louisiana $60,250
New Mexico $59,840
Kentucky $59,830
North Dakota $59,430
West Virginia $59,000
Tennessee $58,820
Wisconsin $58,500
South Dakota $58,320
North Carolina $57,500
Montana $57,290
Indiana $57,030
Rhode Island $56,250
Kansas $55,000
Iowa $54,550
South Carolina $53,880
Oklahoma $53,170
Idaho $49,690
Wyoming $49,490
Virgin Islands, U.S. $48,520
Arkansas $47,420
Alabama $47,260
Mississippi $46,180
Guam $38,480
Puerto Rico $36,550

How do paralegal salaries compare to similar careers?

Paralegals earn about the same as related careers in Florida. On average, they make less than coroners but more than judicial law clerks.

Career Median Salary
Coroner salary $75K
Police officer salary $74K
Sheriff salary $74K
Transit police officer salary $70K
Forensic science technician salary $64K
Paralegal salary $61K
Bailiff salary $59K
Correctional officer salary $50K
Court reporter salary $49K
Judicial law clerk salary $55K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)