Paralegal earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$30.11 per hour

$62,630 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$30.02 per hour

$62,430 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$23.33 per hour

$48,520 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level paralegal earnings begin at:

$17.71 per hour

$36,830 per year

10th percentile

Starting level paralegal earnings begin at:

$17.70 per hour

$36,820 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 8% more than similar careers in Virgin Islands, U.S.. On average, they make less than coroners but more than security guards.

Career Median Salary
Coroner salary $65K
Paralegal salary $49K
Legal secretary salary $38K
Security guard salary $29K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)