National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Operations Managers earn a national median of $107,580/year vs Paralegals at $59,200/year. Operations Managers earn 45% more nationally. The gap is $48,380 per year — or $4,032 per month.
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Operations Manager
$107,580
national median/year
$8,965/mo • $52/hr
VS
Paralegal
$59,200
national median/year
$4,933/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$48,380
Operations Managers earn 45% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $548,402.
Best states for Paralegals
vs Operations Managers
Mississippi+$-34,380
Arkansas+$-36,380
North Dakota+$-36,380
West Virginia+$-36,380
Louisiana+$-38,380
Best states for Operations Managers
vs Paralegals
California+$62,380
New York+$62,380
Massachusetts+$60,380
Washington+$60,380
New Jersey+$58,380
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Operations Managers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Operations Managers is $107,580 versus $59,200 for Paralegals — a difference of $48,380 per year or $4,032 per month.
The national median salary gap between Operations Managers and Paralegals is $48,380 per year. Operations Managers earn 45% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $548,402.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Operations Managers the highest median salary at $138,580 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 — Operations Managers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. General and Operations Managers 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, Operations Managers earn approximately $52 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.
