Lawyer vs Paralegal Salary (2025)
Lawyer earns $82,404 more than Paralegal nationally. The median Lawyer salary is $146,574 compared to $64,170 for Paralegal, based on BLS data across 68 metro areas.
Comparing Lawyer, Paralegal: side-by-side wage and employment data across the same metropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS. The comparison view normalizes percentile distributions so the wage differences are apples-to-apples within each metro. Role comparisons are most useful when the worker has flexibility between the occupations — usually adjacent specialties within the same field (e.g., software-engineering versus data-engineering) or related disciplines with overlapping skill sets.
Median wage differences across roles understate the spread for senior workers and overstate it for entry-level. The per-percentile comparison gives a fuller picture — particularly the p75 and p90 columns, which capture experienced-worker pay.
Lawyer
Paralegal
Salary Comparison by City
| City | Lawyer | Paralegal | Difference | Higher Earner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $301,320 | $99,250 | +$202,070 | Lawyer |
| New York, NY | $208,880 | $75,330 | +$133,550 | Lawyer |
| San Francisco, CA | $212,500 | $84,030 | +$128,470 | Lawyer |
| Bridgeport, CT | $180,610 | $59,950 | +$120,660 | Lawyer |
| Birmingham, AL | $170,230 | $53,160 | +$117,070 | Lawyer |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,410 | $77,520 | +$116,890 | Lawyer |
| Washington, DC | $195,190 | $81,590 | +$113,600 | Lawyer |
| Reno, NV | $163,380 | $55,410 | +$107,970 | Lawyer |
| Dallas, TX | $168,510 | $63,220 | +$105,290 | Lawyer |
| Boston, MA | $183,350 | $79,850 | +$103,500 | Lawyer |
| San Diego, CA | $178,220 | $76,300 | +$101,920 | Lawyer |
| Philadelphia, PA | $170,660 | $70,430 | +$100,230 | Lawyer |
| Fresno, CA | $162,680 | $62,450 | +$100,230 | Lawyer |
| Sacramento, CA | $178,540 | $78,550 | +$99,990 | Lawyer |
| Miami, FL | $160,320 | $62,090 | +$98,230 | Lawyer |
| Charlotte, NC | $157,180 | $59,870 | +$97,310 | Lawyer |
| Denver, CO | $177,380 | $80,500 | +$96,880 | Lawyer |
| Houston, TX | $157,980 | $62,730 | +$95,250 | Lawyer |
| Chicago, IL | $165,660 | $70,550 | +$95,110 | Lawyer |
| Rochester, NY | $148,150 | $57,250 | +$90,900 | Lawyer |
| Hartford, CT | $157,200 | $67,500 | +$89,700 | Lawyer |
| Austin, TX | $153,330 | $64,140 | +$89,190 | Lawyer |
| Bakersfield, CA | $150,900 | $63,420 | +$87,480 | Lawyer |
| Anchorage, AK | $153,590 | $66,210 | +$87,380 | Lawyer |
| San Antonio, TX | $137,690 | $53,300 | +$84,390 | Lawyer |
| Las Vegas, NV | $150,510 | $66,720 | +$83,790 | Lawyer |
| Minneapolis, MN | $159,620 | $76,220 | +$83,400 | Lawyer |
| Richmond, VA | $144,910 | $62,940 | +$81,970 | Lawyer |
| Nashville, TN | $142,540 | $60,800 | +$81,740 | Lawyer |
| St. Louis, MO | $142,690 | $61,970 | +$80,720 | Lawyer |
| Portland, OR | $155,330 | $75,430 | +$79,900 | Lawyer |
| Memphis, TN | $134,440 | $56,850 | +$77,590 | Lawyer |
| Orlando, FL | $136,970 | $59,470 | +$77,500 | Lawyer |
| Columbus, OH | $137,810 | $60,430 | +$77,380 | Lawyer |
| Knoxville, TN | $126,520 | $49,780 | +$76,740 | Lawyer |
| Providence, RI | $133,000 | $57,100 | +$75,900 | Lawyer |
| Des Moines, IA | $134,560 | $60,080 | +$74,480 | Lawyer |
| Atlanta, GA | $138,210 | $64,080 | +$74,130 | Lawyer |
| Phoenix, AZ | $135,670 | $62,620 | +$73,050 | Lawyer |
| Buffalo, NY | $130,800 | $58,270 | +$72,530 | Lawyer |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $136,990 | $64,670 | +$72,320 | Lawyer |
| Seattle, WA | $164,980 | $92,900 | +$72,080 | Lawyer |
| Detroit, MI | $134,980 | $63,400 | +$71,580 | Lawyer |
| Wichita, KS | $121,510 | $50,240 | +$71,270 | Lawyer |
| Kansas City, MO | $134,640 | $63,880 | +$70,760 | Lawyer |
| Milwaukee, WI | $131,100 | $60,340 | +$70,760 | Lawyer |
| Albany, NY | $131,310 | $60,680 | +$70,630 | Lawyer |
| Raleigh, NC | $131,920 | $61,880 | +$70,040 | Lawyer |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $133,040 | $63,620 | +$69,420 | Lawyer |
| Greensboro, NC | $126,960 | $58,650 | +$68,310 | Lawyer |
| Omaha, NE | $131,730 | $64,230 | +$67,500 | Lawyer |
| Tampa, FL | $127,490 | $60,150 | +$67,340 | Lawyer |
| Greenville, SC | $124,970 | $57,780 | +$67,190 | Lawyer |
| Baltimore, MD | $132,400 | $65,640 | +$66,760 | Lawyer |
| Cincinnati, OH | $130,980 | $64,330 | +$66,650 | Lawyer |
| Jacksonville, FL | $127,920 | $62,480 | +$65,440 | Lawyer |
| Spokane, WA | $123,880 | $59,540 | +$64,340 | Lawyer |
| Madison, WI | $124,130 | $60,800 | +$63,330 | Lawyer |
| Louisville, KY | $124,530 | $61,270 | +$63,260 | Lawyer |
| Tulsa, OK | $108,220 | $50,740 | +$57,480 | Lawyer |
| New Orleans, LA | $121,290 | $64,780 | +$56,510 | Lawyer |
| Boise, ID | $109,780 | $53,470 | +$56,310 | Lawyer |
| Albuquerque, NM | $114,610 | $59,370 | +$55,240 | Lawyer |
| Tucson, AZ | $107,510 | $52,430 | +$55,080 | Lawyer |
| Little Rock, AR | $97,870 | $47,690 | +$50,180 | Lawyer |
| Lexington, KY | $111,040 | $63,640 | +$47,400 | Lawyer |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $103,490 | $57,550 | +$45,940 | Lawyer |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $106,320 | $64,830 | +$41,490 | Lawyer |
Frequently Asked Questions
Lawyer earns more on average, with a national median of $146,574 compared to $64,170 for Paralegal, a difference of $82,404 per year.
The largest salary gap is in San Jose, CA, where Lawyer earns $301,320 vs $99,250 for Paralegal.
Lawyer has approximately 572,910 positions tracked, while Paralegal has 286,300 positions. Lawyer has more jobs available nationally.
More Salary Comparisons
Explore Further
Comparison based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.