Official national median: US$62,890 a year for Paralegals and Legal Assistants (SOC 23-2011).
Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025). Observed figure, published May 2025.
For context, the SalaryByRole job-title median is US$68,000 a year.
Showing amounts in USD (USD default). FX as of Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies
The United States national median for a paralegal is US$68,000 a year, or about US$5,700 a month before tax.
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes the national spread for the matching occupation: US$44,740 at the 10th percentile and US$101,500 at the 90th, a 2.3× gap.
The closest official occupation is Paralegals and Legal Assistants (SOC 23-2011). In May 2025 its national median was $62,890 a year.
That is 8% below the SalaryByRole median above. The sources define the job differently (an official occupation group versus a job title), so read them as a range rather than one figure.
The published 10th and 90th percentiles are $44,740 and $101,500, a 2.3× spread.
BLS estimates 392,880 jobs in this occupation nationwide.
51 states have a published figure. District of Columbia is highest at $89,750 (+43% vs national) and Mississippi lowest at $46,180, a 1.94× gap.
18 of the 51 pay above the national median; the next highest after District of Columbia are Washington ($79,400) and Colorado ($78,190).
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual pay Observed | $62,890 |
| Mean annual pay Observed | $69,700 |
| 10th percentile Observed | $44,740 |
| 25th percentile Observed | $50,340 |
| 75th percentile Observed | $80,080 |
| 90th percentile Observed | $101,500 |
| Median hourly pay Observed | $30.24 |
| Employment (jobs) Observed | 392,880 |
| # | State | Median | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,750 | +43% |
| 2 | Washington | $79,400 | +26% |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,190 | +24% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,640 | +23% |
| 5 | California | $77,390 | +23% |
| … | |||
| 49 | Arkansas | $47,420 | -25% |
| 50 | Alabama | $47,260 | -25% |
| 51 | Mississippi | $46,180 | -27% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Figures are copied from the published table without adjustment; ranks and percentage differences are calculated by us. All states · Methodology
The United States is 1st of 2 countries for this role once medians are converted at the same exchange rate (US$68,000). The United Kingdom pays 35% less (US$44,046).
That median is about 80% of GDP per person (US$90,000, World Bank 2025). This role pays less, relative to the national economy, than in many countries in our table.
| # | Country | Median (USD) | In USD | vs United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | US$68,000 | US$68,000 | — |
| 2 |  United Kingdom | US$44,000 | US$44,046 | -35% |
Using our take-home calculator for the United States, the US$68,000 median loses income tax US$6,130, Social Security US$4,216 and Medicare US$986, leaving US$56,668 a year or US$4,722 a month. Total deductions: 17% of gross.
At the published 10th percentile from BLS OEWS (May 2025) (US$44,740) deductions are 15%; at the 90th (US$101,500) they reach 21%, leaving US$6,686 a month.
Consumer prices in the United States rose 2.9% in 2024 (World Bank). Matching that on the US$68,000 median takes a raise of about US$1,972.
Unemployment was 4.2% of the labour force in 2025.
The United States has 14 public holidays in 2026 (Nager.Date); at the median, one working day is worth about US$262 before tax.
Figures are estimates, updated 2026-11-01. See our methodology for sources and limitations.