Paralegal Salaries by State

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2019, the nationwide mean annual wage for paralegals was $55,020. Salaries vary based upon the state in which a paralegal works. Certain states have a higher employment level of paralegals than others, too. For example, California employs 35,040 paralegals; the state of Florida employs 30,850 paralegals; New York employs 29,310 paralegals; Texas employs 27,040 paralegals; and Illinois employs the fifth-highest number of paralegals in the country, at 13,980.

The top-paying state in which paralegals work as of May 2019 is District of Columbia, where they earn $82,010 annually. Next comes Colorado, where paralegals make an average of $62,250 per year. California comes next, where its paralegals are earning $61,810 annually. Massachusetts ranks fourth, as its paralegals average $61,650 yearly. Finally, the state of Washington ranks fifth when it comes to paralegal salaries, at $60,840.

In this article, we will discuss salaries that paralegals working in each of the 50 states made as of May 2019. These numbers will be further broken down into salaries for paralegals working in metropolitan areas within each state.

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Alabama (view more Alabama info)
Paralegals working in Alabama as of May 2019 earned a yearly mean salary of $47,380. Those employed in the Florence-Muscle Shoals area earned the highest salaries in the state, at $50,490. Paralegals working in the Birmingham-Hoover area earned the next highest salary, at $49,740; followed by Montgomery’s paralegals, who earned $49,630.

Alaska (view more Alaska info)
Paralegals employed in Alaska made an annual mean wage of $56,360. Those working in the Alaska nonmetropolitan area earned salaries higher than the state average, at $61,510. Fairbanks’ paralegals also made higher than state average salaries, earning $57,610.

Arizona (view more Arizona info)
Arizona’s paralegals garnered an annual mean wage of $50,940. Flagstaff’s paralegals earned the highest salaries in the state, at $54,530. They are closely followed by paralegals working in Yuma, who made $52,960; and paralegals working in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area, who earned $52,620.

Arkansas (view more Arkansas info)
Paralegals working in the state of Arkansas brought home an annual mean salary of $40,820. Those employed in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway area earned the highest salaries in the state, at $44,550. They are followed by paralegals from the North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, who earned $41,790; and paralegals working in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area, who made $41,010.

California (view more California info)
Paralegals in California made an annual mean wage of $61,810, ranking them as the third-highest paid paralegals in the nation as of May 2019. The highest-paid paralegals in the state work in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metropolitan area, earning $86,690 per year. Other paralegals in California who earned salaries higher than the state average include Napa, where they made $79,840; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, where they earned $71,360; and Santa Rosa, where paralegals made $68,310 annually.

Colorado (view more Colorado info)
Colorado’s paralegals earned an annual mean salary of $62,250, making them the second-highest paid paralegals in the nation as of May 2019. In Boulder, paralegals earned higher than the state average, at $65,490. They also made more than the state average salary in Denver-Aurora-Lakewood ($65,270) and Greeley ($64,610).

Connecticut (view more Connecticut info)
Paralegals in Connecticut made a yearly mean salary of $60,240. Those working in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area earned higher than average salaries of $65,970. Those working in New Haven also made slightly higher than the state average, at $60,290.

District of Columbia (view more District of Columbia info)
The District of Columbia’s paralegals are the highest-paid paralegals in the nation as of May 2019, earning $82,010. Those working in the Washington-Alexandria-Arlington DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area earned an average annual wage of $70,030.

Delaware (view more Delaware info)
Delaware’s paralegals earned $57,140 annually as of May 2019. Paralegals working in the Dover metropolitan area made slightly lower salaries of $50,810.

Florida (view more Florida info)
Florida’s paralegals accrued an annual mean wage of $51,130 as of May 2019. Paralegals employed in Lakeland-Winter Haven made higher than average salaries of $56,590; as did paralegals working in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area, earning $56,560. Those working in Port St. Lucie also earned salaries slightly higher than the state average, at $51,750.

Georgia (view more Georgia info)
Paralegals working in Georgia averaged a yearly wage of $54,440. Paralegals working in the Savannah area made salaries higher than the state average, at $57,180. Another area of Georgia in which paralegals earned higher than average salaries is the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan area, where they earned $56,560.

Hawaii (view more Hawaii info)
Hawaii’s paralegals earned an annual mean salary of $54,530. Those employed in the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina metropolitan area earned even more, at $57,070. Paralegals working in the Hawaii/Kauai nonmetropolitan area also earned higher than the state average, at $56,430.

Idaho (view more Idaho info)
Paralegals employed in Idaho collected a mean wage of $48,110 annually. Boise City’s paralegals earned higher than average salaries of $51,980; as did those in the Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area ($51,650). Paralegals working in the Lewiston metropolitan area earned slightly higher than the state average, at $50,590.

Illinois (view more Illinois info)
Paralegals in Illinois earned an average annual wage of $59,960. Those working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $60,690. Springfield’s paralegals earned an average of $59,900.

Indiana (view more Indiana info)
Indiana’s paralegals garnered an annual mean salary of $48,280. Paralegals employed in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $52,030. Also earning higher than Indiana’s state average salary were paralegals working in the Fort Wayne area ($51,800).

Iowa (view more Iowa info)
Paralegals employed in Iowa made an annual mean wage of $50,140. Those working in the Des Moines-West Des Moines area earned higher than the state average, earning $57,210. Other places in Iowa where paralegals earned higher than average salaries include Sioux City ($53,880), Iowa City ($52,450), and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island ($52,290).

Kansas (view more Kansas info)
Paralegals who are employed in Kansas earned an annual mean salary of $44,460. Those working in the Wichita area earned salaries higher than the state average, at $46,420. Topeka’s paralegals earned slightly lower than the state average, at $42,830.

Kentucky (view more Kentucky info)
Working in Kentucky, paralegals made an annual mean wage of $44,650. Those working in the Lexington-Fayette area earned higher than average salaries of $50,740. Louisville/Jefferson County KY_-IN paralegals also earned higher than the state average, at $48,190.

Louisiana (view more Louisiana info)
Louisiana’s paralegals brought home a yearly mean salary of $50,140. Paralegals working in the New Orleans-Metairie area earned higher salaries, at $57,570. Those in the Shreveport-Bossier City area also earned slightly higher than the state average, at $51,010.

Maine (view more Maine info)
Paralegals in Maine garnered an annual mean wage of $52,320. Paralegals working in Portland and South Portland earned higher than the state average, at $56,680; as did paralegals in the Bangor area, earning $52,960 annually.

Maryland (view more Maryland info)
Maryland’s paralegals earned an annual mean wage of $56,890. Those employed in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg MD-WV metropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $57,870 annually. Paralegals working in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson also earned higher than average salaries of $56,970.

Massachusetts (view more Massachusetts info)
Massachusetts’ paralegals earned the fourth-highest annual mean wage of paralegals in all states, at $61,650 as of May 2019. Those working in the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua MA-NH metropolitan area earned even higher salaries, averaging $64,000 annually.

Michigan (view more Michigan info)
Michigan’s paralegals accrued an annual mean wage of $51,790. Those working in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming area earned higher than average salaries of $63,570. Higher than state average salaries were also earned by paralegals working in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area, making $52,220.

Minnesota (view more Minnesota info)
Paralegals employed in Minnesota made a yearly mean salary of $57,390. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI paralegals earned higher than average salaries of $60,050.

Mississippi (view more Mississippi info)
Paralegals earning a living in Mississippi made an annual mean wage of $45,960. Those employed in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula area earned higher than the state average, at $55,780. Another area of Mississippi in which paralegals earned higher than average salaries is Jackson ($49,400).

Missouri (view more Missouri info)
Missouri’s paralegals accrued an annual mean salary of $48,160. Those working in the Jefferson City area earned higher than the state average, at $60,850. Other areas in Missouri in which paralegals earned higher salaries than the state average include St. Louis MO-IL ($52,810) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($48,420).

Montana (view more Montana info)
Paralegals working in Montana earned an annual mean wage of $46,270. Billings paralegals earned higher than the state average, at $52,150. Those working in Missoula also earned higher than the state average, at $48,460; as did paralegals working in the Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area, who averaged $46,570.

Nebraska (view more Nebraska info)
Nebraska’s paralegals made an annual mean wage of $53,010. Omaha-Council Bluffs NE-IA paralegals earned higher than average salaries of $56,630; as did paralegals from Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area, who earned $55,070.

Nevada (view more Nevada info)
Paralegals in Nevada averaged a yearly mean salary of $58,110. Reno’s paralegals earned higher than the state average, at $65,020. Also earning more than the state average are paralegals in Carson City, who made $58,260 annually.

New Hampshire (view more New Hampshire info)
New Hampshire’s paralegals earned an annual mean salary of $55,930. Those working in the Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $58,860. Paralegals in Manchester fared better than the state average, at $58,250; as did those in the Portsmouth NH-ME area, earning $57,440.

New Jersey (view more New Jersey info)
Paralegals employed in New Jersey made an annual mean wage of $60,300. Trenton’s paralegals earned more than the state average, garnering $72,480. Those in Vineland-Bridgeton earned slightly less than the state average, at $51,030.

New Mexico (view more New Mexico info)
New Mexico’s paralegals garnered an annual mean wage of $49,020. Paralegals working in the Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $53,610; as did those in Farmington ($52,120) and Santa Fe ($49,760).

New York (view more New York info)
New York’s paralegals earned $58,070 yearly as of May 2019. Ithaca’s paralegals earned higher than the state average salary, at $61,410. Those working in the New York-Newark-Jersey City NJ-NY area also earned higher salaries of $60,430.

North Carolina (view more North Carolina info)
As of May 2019, North Carolina’s paralegals brought home an annual mean salary of $47,370. Raleigh’s paralegals earned higher than the state average, at $53,010. Other places in North Carolina where paralegals earned higher than the state average are Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC ($51,690) and Durham-Chapel Hill ($51,600).

North Dakota (view more North Dakota info)
Paralegals working in North Dakota collected an annual mean wage of $46,660. Those working in the Fargo ND-MN metropolitan area earned higher than the state average, making $51,440. Paralegals in Bismarck also earned more than the state average, earning $48,140 per year.

Ohio (view more Ohio info)
Ohio’s paralegals made an annual mean wage of $48,210. Cincinnati paralegals earned more than the state average, making $54,870. Those in Akron earned $54,170. Paralegals working in the Cleveland-Elyria area earned slightly more than the state average, earning $48,320 annually.

Oklahoma (view more Oklahoma info)
Paralegals employed in Oklahoma earned a yearly mean salary of $46,950. Tulsa’s paralegals earned more than the state average, at $52,170. Paralegals in Oklahoma City also earned higher than average salaries of $47,710.

Oregon (view more Oregon info)
Oregon’s paralegals brought home an annual mean salary of $57,970. Those in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA area earned more than the state average, at $62,670. Medford paralegals earned slightly less than the state average, at $54,360.

Pennsylvania (view more Pennsylvania info)
Paralegals employed in Pennsylvania averaged an annual mean wage of $55,490. Paralegals working in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area earned higher than the state average, at $58,130. Other places in Pennsylvania in which paralegals earned higher than state average salaries include Pittsburgh ($57,760); Chambersburg-Waynesboro ($56,060) and Erie ($56,500).

Rhode Island (view more Rhode Island info)
Rhode Island’s paralegals earned an annual mean wage of $52,440. Those working in the Providence-Warwick RI-MA metropolitan area earned slightly lower salaries of $52,300.

South Carolina (view more South Carolina info)
Paralegals employed in South Carolina earned an annual mean wage of $46,540. Paralegals working in the Charleston-North Charleston area earned higher than the state average, at $53,620. Other places in South Carolina where paralegals earned higher than state average include Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin ($49,300) and Columbia ($47,180).

South Dakota (view more South Dakota info)
South Dakota’s paralegals averaged a yearly mean wage of $49,130. Those working in the West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area earned higher than average salaries of $51,060. Sioux Falls paralegals earned slightly higher than state average salaries of $49,760.

Tennessee (view more Tennessee info)
Paralegals employed in Tennessee brought home a yearly mean salary of $49,830. Those working in Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin earned higher than the state average, at $54,340. Other areas in Tennessee in which paralegals made higher salaries include Knoxville ($52,690); Chattanooga ($51,750); and Kingsport-Bristol ($50,990).

Texas (view more Texas info)
Texas’ paralegals earned an annual mean wage of $54,430. Paralegals working in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area earned the highest salaries in the state, at $62,690. Also earning higher than the state average were paralegals in Austin-Round Rock ($55,590); and Midland ($56,150).

Utah (view more Utah info)
Utah’s paralegals earned an annual mean salary of $52,200. In Logan, paralegals earned the highest salaries in the state, at $63,240. Other areas in which paralegals earned higher than the state average include Salt Lake City ($53,650) and Provo-Orem ($52,460).

Vermont (view more Vermont info)
Paralegals working in Vermont earned an annual mean wage of $49,050. Those working in the Burlington-South Burlington area earned slightly higher salaries of $50,230; as did those in the Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, earning $50,910 annually.

Virginia (view more Virginia info)
Paralegals employed in Virginia brought home an annual mean wage of $52,520. While no metropolitan area in the state paid paralegals higher than this state average, areas in which they made the most include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford ($49,670); Richmond ($49,580); and Lynchburg ($48,290).

Washington (view more Washington info)
Paralegals in Washington state earned a yearly mean salary of $60,840, making them the fifth-highest paid paralegals in the nation as of May 2019. Paralegals working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area earned even higher salaries of $65,180. Other areas of the state paying paralegals close to the state average include Wenatchee ($58,860) and Bellingham ($58,660).

West Virginia (view more West Virginia info)
West Virginia’s paralegals garnered an annual mean wage of $48,580. Areas of the state in which paralegals earned higher than the state average include Morgantown, where they earned $55,360; and Charleston, where they earned $53,660.

Wisconsin (view more Wisconsin info)
Paralegals working in Wisconsin earned a yearly mean wage of $50,380. Those working in the Racine area earned salaries higher than the state average, at $58,610. Other places in Wisconsin where paralegals earned salaries that were above the state average include Madison ($58,330); Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis ($51,450); and Green Bay ($50,430).

Wyoming (view more Wyoming info)
Wyoming’s paralegals earned an annual mean wage of $45,250. Places in Wyoming in which paralegals earned higher than average salaries include Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($50,910); Cheyenne ($49,550) and Casper ($46,590).

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