Paralegal salary in Akron, OH
Akron pays paralegals close to the Ohio norm. The median is $60,290 a year1, about level with the Ohio statewide median of $60,420 and 4.1% below the US median of $62,890. Among US areas it comes in at #146 of 506. BLS counts about 410 people in this job here, 4% of the Ohio total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Akron, OH. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Akron against Ohio and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | $43,000 | $60,290 | $86,420 | |
| Ohio | $41,720 | $60,420 | $94,660 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Akron earns $49,140–$75,600. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $86,420, only 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $26,460 wide, against $27,860 across Ohio and $29,740 nationally: employers in Akron pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a paralegal here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $20.67 | $55,484 |
| 25th percentile | $49,140 | $4,095 | $23.62 | $63,406 |
| Median | $60,290 | $5,024 | $28.99 | $77,794 |
| 75th percentile | $75,600 | $6,300 | $36.35 | $97,548 |
| 90th percentile | $86,420 | $7,202 | $41.55 | $111,510 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,310 a year in pay and about $19,755 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,150 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $62,890 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Akron, and the Ohio statewide median of $60,420 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Akron
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $17,504 to the $60,290 median and brings it to $77,794 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for paralegals we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Akron
Of the 17 roles we track in Akron, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between office managers ($64,620) and sales development representatives ($58,050). Project Coordinator is the highest at $93,190.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +8.2% | 660 | |
| Office Manager | +7.2% | 2,660 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 410 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.7% | 2,380 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -7.2% | 330 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Akron (-4.1%), between payroll specialists (-3.9%) and accountants (-6.1%). The typical role here is at -6.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Akron, 1.8% across Ohio and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Ohio
Across the 15 areas of Ohio with data for this job, the median runs from $47,040 in Youngstown-Warren to $64,330 in Cincinnati, a gap of $17,290 a year. Of the 4 areas in Ohio with more paralegals than Akron, 1 pays less: Dayton-Kettering, OH ($58,680).
| Area | Median | vs Akron | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | +6.7% | 1,700 | |
| Cleveland, OH | +1.1% | 2,960 | |
| Columbus, OH | +0.2% | 2,260 | |
| Akron, OH | this area | 410 | |
| Toledo, OH | -0.5% | 340 | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -2.7% | 470 | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | -4.2% | 210 |
Akron against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Akron is #125 of 503 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Ohio, Santa Fe and Milwaukee-Waukesha pay just above Akron and Lansing-East Lansing and Bloomington just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Akron. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Akron | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | +0.1% | 420 | jobs | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +0.1% | 1,880 | pay | |
| Santa Fe, NM | +0.0% | 280 | pay | |
| Akron, OH | this area | 410 | ||
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -0.1% | 400 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | -0.2% | 260 | pay | |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | -14.5% | 420 | jobs | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | -14.9% | 410 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Akron, OH?
About $77,794 a year at the median, or $6,483 a month: $60,290 in pay plus about $17,504 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Akron?
The median was $60,290 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,000, the 90th $86,420, and the middle half earned $49,140 to $75,600.
Is Akron cheaper than the rest of Ohio for paralegals?
About the same: a median of $60,290 against $60,420 statewide. The next area up in Ohio is Columbus at $60,430, the next down Toledo at $59,960.
How many paralegals work in Akron?
BLS counts about 410 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Ohio total of 9,270. 4 areas in Ohio have more; the closest in size is Dayton-Kettering, with about 470.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Akron?
Yes: $2,240 a year more at the median. The medians are $60,290 and $58,050.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 23-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.