Approximately 33 percent of paralegals have an associate degree, according to a 2010 study by the Association of Legal Assistants. An associate degree can help paralegals find a position more easily and lead to a higher salary. Paralegals' salaries vary greatly according to a number of factors, including location, experience, size and type of employer and education.
National
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in its 2009 survey that the average annual salary of a paralegal is $50,080, or $24.08 per hour. Those in the 10th percentile for salary earn $29,800 on average each year, or $14.32 per hour. Those in the 25th percentile earn $36,760 per year, or $17.67 per hour. The median annual salary is $46,980 per year, or $22.58 per hour. Those in the 75th percentile earn $60,620, or $29.14 per hour. Paralegals earning in the 90th percentile can average $75,700 per year, or $36.39 per hour.
Associate Degrees
Paralegals with bachelor's degrees (in paralegal studies or in any subject and with a certificate in paralegal studies) or a more advanced degree can generally expect to earn on the higher end of this range. Those with an associate degree can expect to earn somewhere in the middle of this range. Those with only a high-school diploma are likely to earn the least of all paralegals. However, this is not always the case, given other factors such as location, employer and experience in the legal profession. In the Association of Legal Assistants' 2010 National Utilization and Compensation Survey Report, paralegals with an associate degree earned $53,247 per year (salary and compensation).
Other Degrees & Certificates
The Association of Legal Assistants also reports in its 2010 survey that paralegals with bachelor's degrees earn $52,221 per year (salary and compensation), less than reported for associate degree holders. Master's degree holders reported total earnings of $56,725 each year.
Locations
The 2010 National Utilization and Compensation Survey Report from the Association of Legal Assistants states that the New England/East Coast region offers the lowest salaries to paralegals, while those in the West earn more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the District of Columbia offers the highest average pay among the states for paralegals at $64,760 per year. New York paralegals earn an average salary of $60,140, while California paralegals make an average of $59,270 per year. Illinois is the fourth-highest paying state at $54,690, followed by Alaska at $52,640 on average per year.
The highest paying metro area is Stockton, California, where the average salary is $68,120, followed by San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California, at $64,080. New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York-New Jersey, comes next at $63,230, followed by Vallejo-Fairfield, California, at $63,210 per year in fourth place. The fifth-highest paying metro area in the country is in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia, where paralegals' salary averages $63,110 per year.
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