Paralegal Salary in California
Salaries for paralegals in California vary widely depending on the region. In San Francisco, for example, the average annual salary is $67,000. In contrast, paralegals in Los Angeles make an average of $58,000 per year.
Paralegal salaries are also dependent on experience and education level. The most experienced paralegals can earn as much as $85,000 per year while those with just a high school diploma can make around $40,000 per year.
The average salary for a paralegal in California is $54,000. The median salary for a paralegal in California is $50,000. Paralegals make an average of $46,000 in San Francisco and $45,000 in Los Angeles.
Paralegal Salary In California
How much does a Paralegal make in California?
As of Aug 3, 2022, the average annual pay for a Paralegal in California is $44,523 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.41 an hour. This is the equivalent of $856/week or $3,710/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $73,746 and as low as $24,747, the majority of Paralegal salaries currently range between $39,099 (25th percentile) to $54,937 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $65,826 annually in California.
The average pay range for a Paralegal varies greatly (as much as $15,838), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Paralegal job market in California is not very active as few companies are currently hiring.
California ranks number 22 out of 50 states nationwide for Paralegal salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Paralegal jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Paralegal on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Paralegal Jobs in California
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Paralegal job is above the average in California. Topping the list is Sunnyvale, with Santa Rosa and Napa close behind in second and third. Napa beats the California average by 28.2%, and Sunnyvale furthers that trend with another $15,233 (34.2%) above the $44,523.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Paralegal appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 11% between Sunnyvale and Oceanside, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Paralegal role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale | $59,755 | $4,980 | $1,149 | $28.73 |
| Santa Rosa | $57,936 | $4,828 | $1,114 | $27.85 |
| Napa | $57,098 | $4,758 | $1,098 | $27.45 |
| Vacaville | $54,946 | $4,579 | $1,057 | $26.42 |
| Fairfield | $54,149 | $4,512 | $1,041 | $26.03 |
| San Mateo | $54,079 | $4,507 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Long Beach | $54,076 | $4,506 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Costa Mesa | $53,867 | $4,489 | $1,036 | $25.90 |
| Fullerton | $53,506 | $4,459 | $1,029 | $25.72 |
| Oceanside | $53,354 | $4,446 | $1,026 | $25.65 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Paralegal Jobs in California
We found at least 5 jobs related to the Paralegal job category that pay more per year than a typical Paralegal salary in California. Top examples of these roles include: Paralegal Manager, Paralegal Travel, and Senior Corporate Paralegal.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $40,377 (90.7%) and $54,808 (123.1%) more than the average Paralegal salary of $44,523. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Paralegal jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Paralegal position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal Manager | $99,331 | $8,278 | $1,910 | $47.76 |
| Paralegal Travel | $90,698 | $7,558 | $1,744 | $43.60 |
| Senior Corporate Paralegal | $88,137 | $7,345 | $1,695 | $42.37 |
| Paralegal Supervisor | $84,951 | $7,079 | $1,634 | $40.84 |
| Supervising Paralegal | $84,900 | $7,075 | $1,633 | $40.82 |
