Paralegals Salary 2025: $64,170 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$64,170 per year is the national median annual wage for paralegals (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $31/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $60,030 to $157,450. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 23-2011.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $64,170
- Median hourly wage
- $31/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $73,336
- Total US employment
- 286,300
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($99,250)
- BLS SOC code
- 23-2011
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for paralegals (BLS SOC 23-2011) is $64,170 per year — about $31/hour — across 286,300 workers in 70 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $73,336 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $47,273 while the 90th earns $103,586 — a 2.2× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most paralegals land in the $55,984–$86,319 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $99,250, versus $47,690 in Little Rock, AR, AR — a 108% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Minneapolis, MN delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($71,770 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
BLS OEWS reports base wage for this Legal role; bonuses, commissions, and equity are excluded, so total compensation for many paralegals runs meaningfully above the figures shown — particularly at the senior end of the distribution.
Paralegals Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what paralegals earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $47,273 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $55,984 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $69,052 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $86,319 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $103,586 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Paralegals salaries range from $47,690 to $99,250 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Paralegals Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $60,030 | $75,718 | $99,250 | $128,350 | $157,450 | $50,689 | 2,030 |
| Seattle, WA | $59,320 | $72,752 | $92,900 | $106,360 | $119,820 | $62,182 | 6,310 |
| San Francisco, CA | $58,590 | $68,766 | $84,030 | $107,925 | $131,820 | $46,787 | 7,630 |
| Washington, DC | $57,160 | $66,932 | $81,590 | $103,805 | $126,020 | $53,397 | 12,990 |
| Denver, CO | $60,590 | $68,554 | $80,500 | $96,030 | $111,560 | $71,365 | 3,740 |
| Boston, MA | $50,340 | $62,144 | $79,850 | $103,160 | $126,470 | $52,498 | 6,300 |
| Sacramento, CA | $51,980 | $62,608 | $78,550 | $95,920 | $113,290 | $62,991 | 2,590 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $51,200 | $61,728 | $77,520 | $94,840 | $112,160 | $46,699 | 22,240 |
| San Diego, CA | $48,210 | $59,446 | $76,300 | $91,840 | $107,380 | $47,628 | 4,440 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $49,230 | $60,026 | $76,220 | $90,720 | $105,220 | $71,770 | 5,990 |
| Portland, OR | $48,970 | $59,554 | $75,430 | $87,890 | $100,350 | $57,978 | 3,510 |
| New York, NY | $49,180 | $59,640 | $75,330 | $98,250 | $121,170 | $40,240 | 33,850 |
| Chicago, IL | $50,160 | $58,316 | $70,550 | $88,295 | $106,040 | $65,750 | 11,590 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $48,970 | $57,554 | $70,430 | $84,190 | $97,950 | $59,485 | 11,150 |
| Hartford, CT | $46,370 | $54,822 | $67,500 | $85,265 | $103,030 | $59,947 | 1,930 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $47,640 | $55,272 | $66,720 | $74,440 | $82,160 | $61,211 | 2,660 |
| Anchorage, AK | $50,590 | $56,838 | $66,210 | $81,800 | $97,390 | $52,134 | 390 |
| Baltimore, MD | $49,930 | $56,214 | $65,640 | $81,575 | $97,510 | $57,478 | 3,880 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $49,830 | $55,830 | $64,830 | $87,995 | $111,160 | $62,038 | 560 |
| New Orleans, LA | $41,040 | $50,536 | $64,780 | $72,330 | $79,880 | $67,550 | 2,120 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $48,130 | $54,746 | $64,670 | $83,345 | $102,020 | $63,777 | 2,140 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $47,680 | $54,340 | $64,330 | $79,650 | $94,970 | $70,537 | 1,700 |
| Omaha, NE | $45,330 | $52,890 | $64,230 | $78,355 | $92,480 | $69,967 | 1,010 |
| Austin, TX | $44,200 | $52,176 | $64,140 | $82,300 | $100,460 | $62,272 | 4,390 |
| Atlanta, GA | $45,500 | $52,932 | $64,080 | $84,695 | $105,310 | $64,597 | 10,290 |
| Kansas City, MO | $47,230 | $53,890 | $63,880 | $80,885 | $97,890 | $66,960 | 2,900 |
| Lexington, KY | $43,260 | $51,412 | $63,640 | $71,695 | $79,750 | $69,704 | 640 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $45,710 | $52,874 | $63,620 | $79,150 | $94,680 | $68,927 | 2,620 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $45,950 | $52,938 | $63,420 | $80,300 | $97,180 | $63,042 | 300 |
| Detroit, MI | $49,500 | $55,060 | $63,400 | $80,555 | $97,710 | $66,667 | 4,550 |
| Dallas, TX | $38,730 | $48,526 | $63,220 | $82,070 | $100,920 | $60,730 | 8,320 |
| Richmond, VA | $48,400 | $54,216 | $62,940 | $77,450 | $91,960 | $61,645 | 1,930 |
| Houston, TX | $42,160 | $50,388 | $62,730 | $82,050 | $101,370 | $65,005 | 7,320 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $47,720 | $53,680 | $62,620 | $80,145 | $97,670 | $62,185 | 6,280 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $40,610 | $49,358 | $62,480 | $77,305 | $92,130 | $65,699 | 2,170 |
| Fresno, CA | $45,460 | $52,256 | $62,450 | $79,115 | $95,780 | $59,194 | 920 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $44,630 | $51,630 | $62,130 | $80,930 | $99,730 | $68,957 | 2,770 |
| Miami, FL | $38,500 | $47,936 | $62,090 | $77,040 | $91,990 | $50,439 | 17,820 |
| St. Louis, MO | $45,950 | $52,358 | $61,970 | $79,900 | $97,830 | $68,856 | 4,030 |
| Raleigh, NC | $38,690 | $47,966 | $61,880 | $73,720 | $85,560 | $62,004 | 2,540 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $49,640 | $54,368 | $61,460 | $77,595 | $93,730 | $50,212 | 2,460 |
| Louisville, KY | $38,890 | $47,842 | $61,270 | $71,135 | $81,000 | $67,927 | 1,460 |
| Nashville, TN | $45,780 | $51,788 | $60,800 | $77,540 | $94,280 | $60,618 | 2,660 |
| Madison, WI | $47,520 | $52,832 | $60,800 | $71,785 | $82,770 | $58,574 | 850 |
| Albany, NY | $47,250 | $52,622 | $60,680 | $71,000 | $81,320 | $60,258 | 1,340 |
| Columbus, OH | $47,090 | $52,426 | $60,430 | $79,230 | $98,030 | $64,909 | 2,260 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $47,130 | $52,414 | $60,340 | $73,815 | $87,290 | $61,951 | 1,880 |
| Tampa, FL | $43,260 | $50,016 | $60,150 | $70,515 | $80,880 | $60,392 | 6,630 |
| Des Moines, IA | $37,490 | $46,526 | $60,080 | $75,000 | $89,920 | $64,394 | 1,190 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $47,350 | $52,390 | $59,950 | $79,880 | $99,810 | $43,600 | 1,600 |
| Charlotte, NC | $43,160 | $49,844 | $59,870 | $79,700 | $99,530 | $61,913 | 4,140 |
| Spokane, WA | $49,280 | $53,384 | $59,540 | $69,995 | $80,450 | $61,129 | 610 |
| Orlando, FL | $39,400 | $47,428 | $59,470 | $68,870 | $78,270 | $57,682 | 5,480 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $41,050 | $48,378 | $59,370 | $69,550 | $79,730 | $63,160 | 1,070 |
| Greensboro, NC | $38,180 | $46,368 | $58,650 | $67,950 | $77,250 | $64,239 | 860 |
| Buffalo, NY | $45,730 | $50,746 | $58,270 | $69,660 | $81,050 | $62,995 | 2,060 |
| Greenville, SC | $39,060 | $46,548 | $57,780 | $66,980 | $76,180 | $64,129 | 1,600 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $37,340 | $45,424 | $57,550 | $70,570 | $83,590 | $66,532 | 1,650 |
| Rochester, NY | $43,100 | $48,760 | $57,250 | $69,540 | $81,830 | $61,625 | 1,300 |
| Providence, RI | $43,370 | $48,862 | $57,100 | $68,975 | $80,850 | $47,822 | 2,420 |
| Memphis, TN | $42,950 | $48,510 | $56,850 | $70,665 | $84,480 | $67,679 | 1,120 |
| Reno, NV | $36,840 | $44,268 | $55,410 | $66,610 | $77,810 | $52,028 | 770 |
| Boise, ID | $36,930 | $43,546 | $53,470 | $64,690 | $75,910 | $52,370 | 1,140 |
| San Antonio, TX | $39,810 | $45,206 | $53,300 | $70,415 | $87,530 | $58,251 | 2,900 |
| Birmingham, AL | $34,130 | $41,742 | $53,160 | $67,360 | $81,560 | $58,805 | 2,420 |
| Tucson, AZ | $39,060 | $44,408 | $52,430 | $71,685 | $90,940 | $54,958 | 980 |
| Tulsa, OK | $36,020 | $41,908 | $50,740 | $65,090 | $79,440 | $58,456 | 980 |
| Wichita, KS | $37,800 | $42,776 | $50,240 | $62,505 | $74,770 | $59,810 | 480 |
| Knoxville, TN | $38,990 | $43,306 | $49,780 | $62,720 | $75,660 | $55,127 | 770 |
| Little Rock, AR | $37,740 | $41,720 | $47,690 | $64,510 | $81,330 | $54,070 | 680 |
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Paralegal & H-1B Prevailing Wage
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Paralegal prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Paralegal is $64,170 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $73,336. Salaries range from $47,690 to $99,250 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level paralegals (10th percentile) earn about $47,273 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $64,170, $86,319 at the 75th percentile, and $103,586 for the top 10% of earners.
The median paralegal earns about $31/hour, based on the $64,170 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Paralegal at $99,250, well above the national median of $64,170. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 286,300 Paralegal positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile paralegal earns $103,586 — about 2.2× the $47,273 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.