Contents
Paralegal Salary
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $14.15 | $17.53 | $22.59 | $29.01 | $36.26 |
| Annual Wage | $29,400 | $36,500 | $47,000 | $60,300 | $75,400 |
How much does a paralegal make? Paralegals perform various tasks on a daily basis that help lawyers prepare for hearings. They help investigate cases, perform research, write reports, and organize files. In order to become a paralegal, one can choose to earn an associate’s degree in the subject, or if a prospective paralegal has a bachelor’s degree in another subject, he or she can become certified as a paralegal. In some cases, lawyers will hire an employee and train him or her on the job.
Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups paralegals along with legal assistants. The BLS reports that the annual median salary for both jobs in 2012 was $46,990. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The top 10 percent of paralegals and legal assistants made $75,410 or more. The lowest 10 percent in the fields made $29,420 or less.
Factors Impacting Salary
Paralegals often earn a higher salary if they are employed by a larger law firm. The years a paralegal has been in the business also factor into his or her earning potential, since more experienced paralegals will typically make more.
Geographical Location and Salary
Generally, paralegals earn more money if the firm that employs them is located in a larger city. The highest paying cities in the industry are: San Francisco, New Bedford, MA, and the Washington DC metropolitan area. The top paying states for paralegals include California, Alaska, New Jersey, and Oregon.
Work Environment and Schedule
Most paralegals are employed by law firms and usually work full time. They spend much of their time working in an office setting or conducting research in law libraries. Other paralegals are employed by the government, corporations, and in the financial industry. Paralegals typically work during regular business hours, but will sometimes need to work extended hours in the evening and on the weekend when preparing for a case.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for paralegals between 2012 and 2022 is good. The field is expected to expand at a rate of 17 percent which is faster than most other professions. There are several reasons for the increase. Since paralegals can perform some of the duties of a lawyer, many law firms will hire paralegals instead of more lawyers to reduce their costs. In addition, corporations will also be employing more paralegals to satisfy their growing legal needs.
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Employment | % of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean salary |
| Software Publishers | 250 | 0.09 | $37.09 | $77,140 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 280 | 0.04 | $36.04 | $74,970 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 120 | 0.03 | $35.88 | $74,630 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | 60 | 0.05 | $35.14 | $73,090 |
| Newspaper,Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 70 | 0.02 | $34.99 | $72,780 |
Salary By State
<trclass=”row_color border_bottom”>Colorado$32,300$38,000$46,400$61,200$75,1004,5405,320+17%
| State | 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Jobs (2010) | Jobs (2020) | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $25,600 | $31,500 | $42,300 | $53,800 | $61,700 | 2,550 | 3,100 | +21% |
| Alaska | $40,700 | $47,200 | $55,800 | $64,800 | $73,500 | 560 | 600 | +7% |
| Arizona | $30,400 | $35,900 | $44,400 | $56,400 | $70,900 | 5,020 | 6,500 | +30% |
| Arkansas | $27,100 | $30,800 | $35,700 | $44,200 | $54,900 | 1,820 | 2,160 | +19% |
| California | $32,600 | $41,300 | $56,200 | $72,600 | $90,400 | 26,800 | 32,200 | +20% |
| Connecticut | $33,400 | $40,000 | $50,300 | $61,200 | $77,700 | 4,270 | 4,630 | +9% |
| Delaware | $34,500 | $40,500 | $47,500 | $59,600 | $77,400 | 1,220 | 1,310 | +8% |
| District of Columbia | $42,200 | $50,900 | $66,700 | $83,900 | $97,300 | 7,620 | 8,860 | +16% |
| Florida | $28,600 | $35,300 | $44,500 | $55,600 | $67,900 | 21,670 | 28,430 | +31% |
| Georgia | $31,100 | $36,700 | $47,100 | $61,800 | $75,000 | 7,750 | 9,890 | +28% |
| Hawaii | $36,400 | $42,700 | $52,200 | $63,700 | $76,900 | 810 | 890 | +10% |
| Idaho | $25,600 | $30,100 | $37,400 | $48,900 | $59,800 | 740 | 860 | +17% |
| Illinois | $31,800 | $38,800 | $51,500 | $61,600 | $73,800 | 10,000 | 12,170 | +22% |
| Iowa | $28,300 | $34,400 | $44,200 | $48,900 | $58,300 | 1,540 | 1,900 | +23% |
| Kansas | $26,400 | $31,200 | $41,200 | $52,100 | $61,600 | 1,850 | 2,200 | +19% |
| Kentucky | $25,600 | $30,200 | $38,800 | $48,900 | $63,100 | 3,400 | 3,950 | +16% |
| Louisiana | $23,600 | $31,900 | $41,600 | $52,900 | $60,200 | 3,760 | 4,530 | +20% |
| Maine | $30,100 | $36,200 | $47,300 | $55,400 | $60,000 | 1,090 | 1,230 | +13% |
| Maryland | $29,900 | $39,900 | $51,600 | $59,700 | $70,000 | 5,920 | 6,910 | +17% |
| Massachusetts | $33,200 | $39,000 | $47,300 | $61,700 | $78,000 | 6,570 | 8,170 | +24% |
| Michigan | $31,300 | $38,300 | $47,600 | $58,100 | $71,100 | 5,090 | 5,870 | +16% |
| Minnesota | $31,300 | $39,300 | $50,300 | $64,300 | $76,900 | 3,920 | 4,540 | +16% |
| Mississippi | $27,100 | $31,800 | $37,300 | $48,200 | $60,800 | 2,120 | 2,390 | +13% |
| Missouri | $27,900 | $36,200 | $49,000 | $59,100 | $70,000 | 4,500 | 5,520 | +23% |
| Montana | $27,600 | $32,200 | $38,200 | $46,000 | $55,400 | 890 | 1,070 | +20% |
| Nebraska | $29,200 | $34,300 | $41,600 | $51,400 | $60,700 | 1,030 | 1,140 | +10% |
| Nevada | $35,400 | $42,200 | $50,600 | $58,700 | $69,600 | 1,650 | 1,890 | +15% |
| New Hampshire | $30,200 | $36,200 | $42,800 | $49,300 | $59,200 | 1,050 | 1,180 | +13% |
| New Jersey | $38,400 | $44,100 | $54,700 | $68,600 | $83,700 | 6,920 | 8,390 | +21% |
| New Mexico | $27,900 | $32,700 | $39,600 | $48,900 | $59,300 | 1,360 | 1,480 | +9% |
| New York | $32,900 | $40,600 | $51,900 | $64,000 | $77,300 | 22,910 | 26,850 | +17% |
| North Carolina | $25,800 | $30,800 | $39,000 | $48,000 | $61,000 | 10,310 | 12,840 | +25% |
| North Dakota | $25,000 | $34,500 | $41,800 | $49,800 | $61,200 | 310 | 360 | +16% |
| Ohio | $26,500 | $33,000 | $42,000 | $54,300 | $67,600 | 6,630 | 7,860 | +19% |
| Oklahoma | $21,200 | $28,500 | $38,900 | $52,900 | $68,300 | 2,520 | 3,040 | +21% |
| Oregon | $33,600 | $42,200 | $50,500 | $62,900 | $77,800 | 2,080 | 2,400 | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | $31,200 | $40,500 | $52,400 | $64,400 | $76,000 | 8,460 | 9,910 | +17% |
| Rhode Island | $32,600 | $35,500 | $41,800 | $54,300 | $71,900 | 800 | 910 | +15% |
| South Carolina | $25,800 | $31,800 | $39,000 | $47,700 | $60,800 | 3,910 | 4,650 | +19% |
| South Dakota | $32,100 | $34,500 | $38,800 | $46,600 | $55,500 | 550 | 630 | +15% |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | $31,400 | $38,800 | $52,200 | $65,100 | 4,790 | 6,050 | +26% |
| Texas | $28,500 | $35,000 | $45,800 | $61,500 | $80,600 | 17,010 | 22,140 | +30% |
| Utah | $30,800 | $34,900 | $43,500 | $54,200 | $68,800 | 2,140 | 2,750 | +28% |
| Vermont | $28,600 | $33,600 | $39,500 | $47,200 | $59,400 | 610 | 650 | +8% |
| Virginia | $29,900 | $36,000 | $47,000 | $61,200 | $76,500 | 8,220 | 10,260 | +25% |
| Washington | $31,100 | $37,000 | $49,300 | $62,500 | $75,400 | 6,830 | 8,180 | +20% |
| West Virginia | $25,500 | $29,200 | $36,400 | $46,800 | $61,900 | 2,190 | 2,500 | +14% |
| Wisconsin | $27,200 | $33,200 | $41,600 | $52,600 | $63,200 | 3,550 | 4,150 | +17% |
| Wyoming | $26,500 | $32,100 | $39,500 | $47,400 | $55,300 | 460 | 520 | +15% |
