National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Business Analysts earn a national median of $99,410/year vs Paralegals at $59,200/year. Business Analysts earn 40% more nationally. The gap is $40,210 per year — or $3,351 per month.
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Business Analyst
$99,410
national median/year
$8,284/mo • $48/hr
VS
Paralegal
$59,200
national median/year
$4,933/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$40,210
Business Analysts earn 40% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $455,792.
Best states for Paralegals
vs Business Analysts
Mississippi+$-28,210
Arkansas+$-30,210
North Dakota+$-30,210
West Virginia+$-30,210
Wyoming+$-30,210
Best states for Business Analysts
vs Paralegals
New York+$58,210
Massachusetts+$56,210
Virginia+$56,210
California+$54,210
Washington+$54,210
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Business Analysts earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Business Analysts is $99,410 versus $59,200 for Paralegals — a difference of $40,210 per year or $3,351 per month.
The national median salary gap between Business Analysts and Paralegals is $40,210 per year. Business Analysts earn 40% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $455,792.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Business Analysts the highest median salary at $132,410 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Paralegals the highest median salary at $76,200 per year.
Salary is one factor — Business Analysts earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Management Analysts and Paralegals and Legal Assistants both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Business Analysts earn approximately $48 per hour nationally and Paralegals earn approximately $28 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
