Paralegal earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$48.32 per hour

$100,510 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$38.54 per hour

$80,160 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$30.40 per hour

$63,220 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$23.46 per hour

$48,790 per year

10th percentile

Starting level paralegal earnings begin at:

$21.12 per hour

$43,930 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 Utah. On average, they make less than police officers but more than judicial law clerks.

Career Median Salary
Police officer salary $77K
Sheriff salary $77K
Coroner salary $67K
Forensic science technician salary $67K
Correctional officer salary $67K
Paralegal salary $63K
Bailiff salary $57K
Private detective salary $58K
Legal secretary salary $53K
Judicial law clerk salary $52K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)