Paralegal Salary by State and Employer

By Darlene Aberin · Updated October 23, 2026

The national median paralegal salary was $62,890 annually in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure covers the combined occupation of paralegals and legal assistants. It is a wage estimate for that period, not a promised 2026 offer.

Location and employer-sector tables provide more specific comparisons. They still describe groups of workers rather than one candidate's qualifications or responsibilities. The wider legal industry statistics by firm size add employment and receipts context for the firms that hire paralegals.

The figures below use the same May 2025 reference period. State and metropolitan tables come from O*NET's presentation of BLS wage data. BLS supplies the national baseline and employer-sector figures. Read the dates and definitions before comparing an offer.

Key Takeaways

• National Baseline: The $62,890 figure is a median for paralegals and legal assistants combined.
• Local Context: A statewide median can differ from the median for a particular metropolitan area.
• Employer Context: Sector medians describe different groups and do not prove a personal pay increase from switching employers.
• Individual Offers: Confirm duties, working hours, benefits, and compensation terms before judging the complete package.

What the National Wage Figure Measures

The BLS occupational profile reports the combined occupation under code 23-2011. Its median identifies the middle of the wage distribution. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. It is not a starting salary or an experience-adjusted recommendation.

O*NET's detailed national wage row also shows the distribution around that midpoint. The following annual figures all describe May 2025.

These are distribution points, not prescribed pay bands. A percentile does not identify a worker's years of experience. The table therefore cannot assign every beginner to the lowest row or every senior employee to the highest.

Job duties also need attention before comparing titles. The work covered by a paralegal's role helps explain the occupation behind the wage figures. Use the actual job description alongside the title when researching an opening.

Selected State and District Wage Comparisons

A state comparison should preserve the same occupation, year, and statistic. The table below uses annual medians for seven selected states and the District of Columbia. It is a cross-section of markets, not a ranking of every jurisdiction.

Each figure comes from the state's O*NET local wage table, which identifies BLS 2025 wage data as the source.

The District of Columbia is a district, not a state. Its figure also differs from the broader Washington metropolitan figure. Keep those geographical definitions intact when comparing sources.

A paralegal salary comparison should not stop at whichever number appears highest. Build a location-specific budget alongside the wage comparison. Housing, travel, and benefit costs belong in that separate assessment.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parity series measures geographical price-level differences. It can inform a purchasing-power comparison. It does not convert an occupational median into a personalized relocation recommendation.

Metropolitan Data Can Change the Comparison

Use the metropolitan area where the job sits when that detail is available. A state figure combines a wider geography. It should not automatically become the benchmark for every office within its borders.

The selected examples below retain O*NET's May 2025 annual median measure. They illustrate how a narrower location changes the reference point.

Metropolitan areas can cross state boundaries, as the Washington example shows. Avoid shortening the area name to Washington, DC and treating it as district-only data. That would compare different populations under one label.

For a remote opening, ask which location governs the employer's compensation range. Do not assume that a headquarters address supplies the right benchmark. Match the employer's stated arrangement before using a local figure.

If the exact area lacks a usable estimate, say so in your research notes. A nearby city's number can provide context, but label it accurately. Do not silently substitute one geography for another.

National Wages by Employer Sector

Employer-sector medians add another comparison, but they require careful interpretation. BLS reports the following May 2025 medians for selected major employing sectors. These are national sector figures, not state-specific figures or named-employer offers.

The BLS pay section supplies the five medians below.

The table describes workers across those groups. It does not track the same worker changing jobs. Subtracting two medians therefore does not reveal the raise a candidate should expect.

The BLS guidance on ownership comparisons identifies differences that wage comparisons cannot fully explain. Responsibilities, experience, location, and work schedules can differ across groups. Treat the sector figures as context for further research.

Do not combine a state median with a sector median to manufacture a local industry rate. The two tables do not provide that combined estimate. Find an appropriately defined dataset or use a current employer range instead.

Experience and Certification Need Separate Evidence

These wage tables do not provide a causal estimate for certification or an individual experience premium. They describe distributions across workers. A higher percentile alone cannot establish why someone earns more.

Use the tables to frame questions, then collect job-specific evidence. Avoid assigning a dollar value to a qualification without a source that supports it.

• Responsibilities: Compare the substantive tasks, supervision, and coordination expected in each opening.
• Experience Requirements: Record the employer's requested experience and how it relates to the actual work.
• Credentials: Check whether the employer requires, prefers, or funds a specific qualification.
• Development: Ask about training support and the process for reviewing compensation after responsibilities change.

The paralegal salary data here does not prove that buying a certificate produces a particular raise. Likewise, it does not establish one standard pay ladder for every practice area.

For a candidate, documented responsibilities offer a stronger discussion starting point than an assumed percentile entitlement. For an employer, describe the role clearly before selecting comparable jobs. That keeps the pay discussion connected to the position being filled.

Salary and Total Compensation Use Different Definitions

Check what each source includes before comparing its number with an offer. BLS wage concepts define OEWS wages as straight-time gross pay. The measure includes specified incentive pay but excludes overtime pay, nonproduction bonuses, and employer benefit costs.

It therefore does not represent every component of a compensation package. A gross wage figure also differs from take-home pay. Review the actual deductions and employee costs separately.

Use an offer review to resolve the items the wage tables leave unanswered.

• Regular Pay: Confirm the hourly rate or salary and the normal working schedule.
• Additional Work: Ask about overtime classification, time recording, and payment rules for extra hours.
• Benefits: Review employee insurance costs, retirement terms, and paid leave using the actual documents.
• Variable Payments: Identify whether bonuses are guaranteed, conditional, discretionary, or absent from the offer.

The Department of Labor's learned-professional guidance says paralegals generally do not qualify under that exemption. It also describes an exception involving advanced specialized knowledge from another professional field. This does not settle every employee's classification under every exemption or state rule.

Ask the employer to explain the position's classification and applicable pay policies. A salary label alone should not end that discussion. Resolve a specific legal dispute through qualified advice or the relevant labor authority.

Why Salary Websites Can Show Different Numbers

Different sources can measure different groups, periods, or compensation components. Before deciding that two numbers conflict, compare their definitions. A local posting estimate and a national occupational median need not match.

The OEWS survey explanation describes estimates built from six semiannual survey panels. Earlier wage observations undergo adjustment to the reference period. This differs from simply collecting the latest advertised job ranges.

When comparing any salary website with an official table, check the following details.

• Population: Identify whether the figure covers employed workers, job advertisements, reported salaries, or modeled estimates.
• Statistic: Separate a median from a mean, a range, or a percentile boundary.
• Geography: Match the national, state, metropolitan, or employer-specific location.
• Pay Definition: Check whether the source reports base pay, occupational wages, or total compensation.
• Timing: Record the data period separately from the webpage's update date.

Do not average incompatible figures to create an apparently stronger result. That would hide their differences. Keep each source attached to its own definition and use the most relevant comparison for the job.

Use Percentiles Without Inventing a Personal Pay Band

Percentiles help describe the distribution within a defined group. They do not explain why particular workers occupy different positions. Use them to ask better questions rather than assigning a candidate to a row automatically.

For example, the national table places the lower quartile at $50,340 and upper quartile at $80,080. Those points frame the middle half of that published distribution. They do not establish an employer's minimum and maximum or the range for one vacancy.

If an advertised range overlaps those figures, compare the definitions before drawing a conclusion. Check the location, schedule, and role first. Then ask what qualifications or responsibilities affect placement within the employer's own range.

Avoid combining separate distribution points into a compensation total. Adding a sector median to a location adjustment chosen from another table has no support here. Neither does taking the midpoint between two state medians and calling it a national estimate.

When discussing a raise, separate evidence about your responsibilities from evidence about the wider labor market. Document changes in the work and the employer's expectations. Present the relevant wage comparison with its actual date and geographical scope.

That produces a clearer discussion than saying every experienced worker belongs above the upper quartile. The published tables do not establish that rule. Keep the distinction visible in both candidate research and employer compensation planning.

Build a Defensible Offer Comparison

Start a paralegal salary comparison with the closest relevant official geography. Then check the employer's current range and the role's responsibilities. This connects historical wage evidence with the actual opening without pretending they measure the same thing.

Keep a small evidence file containing the job description, dated pay range, and benefit documents. Add the official wage table with its occupation code and reference year. Record any unanswered questions before negotiating.

For hiring teams, write down why each comparison fits the role. Exclude jobs with materially different responsibilities unless you explain the difference. Revisit the evidence when the job scope changes rather than relying on a recycled title.

For candidates, present the evidence as context for a discussion. Ask how the employer places applicants within its range. Use the answer to assess the offer alongside working conditions and development opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are These 2026 Wage Estimates?

No, these paralegal salary tables use May 2025 BLS wage data, checked in October 2026. Their reference year remains 2025.

Does BLS Separate Paralegals from Legal Assistants Here?

No, these figures cover the combined occupation under code 23-2011. They do not provide separate national medians for each title.

Is the National Median a Starting Salary?

No, the national paralegal salary median identifies the midpoint across workers in the covered occupation. It does not identify an entry-level pay rate.

Can These Tables Prove a Certification Pay Premium?

No, they do not isolate the effect of certification on wages. An individual premium requires separate, appropriately defined evidence.

Does the Highest State Figure Identify the Best Offer?

No, the highest state paralegal salary figure does not assess a specific job or your expenses. Compare the complete terms and relevant location.

Resources

These sources provide the wage figures and the methods needed to interpret them.

• BLS occupational profile and national pay data
• O*NET California and national wage distributions
• O*NET Texas local wage table
• O*NET District of Columbia local wage table
• O*NET New York local wage table
• BLS OEWS frequently asked questions
• BLS OEWS wage concepts and exclusions
• BEA regional price parity definitions
• Department of Labor learned-professional guidance