National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Paralegals at $59,200/year. Lawyers earn 59% more nationally. The gap is $86,560 per year — or $7,213 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Paralegal
$59,200
national median/year
$4,933/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$86,560
Lawyers earn 59% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $981,183.
Best states for Paralegals
vs Lawyers
South Dakota+$-48,120
Mississippi+$-52,120
West Virginia+$-52,120
Montana+$-54,120
Hawaii+$-56,120
Best states for Lawyers
vs Paralegals
New York+$114,120
California+$102,120
Massachusetts+$98,120
Texas+$92,120
New Jersey+$90,120
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $59,200 for Paralegals — a difference of $86,560 per year or $7,213 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Paralegals is $86,560 per year. Lawyers earn 59% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $981,183.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 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 — Lawyers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Lawyers 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, Lawyers earn approximately $70 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.
