Paralegal salary in Boulder, CO
The median paralegal in Boulder earned $66,090 a year in May 20251. That is 5.1% above the US median of $62,890, even though it is 15.5% below the Colorado statewide median of $78,190. Only 43 of 506 US areas pay more for this job. About 400 paralegals work here, 7% of the Colorado total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Boulder, CO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boulder against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $53,880 | $66,090 | $98,760 | |
| Colorado | $56,930 | $78,190 | $106,160 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Boulder earns $55,830–$80,000. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $98,760, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($72,440) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,170 wide, against $32,510 across Colorado and $29,740 nationally: employers in Boulder 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 | $53,880 | $4,490 | $25.90 | $69,523 |
| 25th percentile | $55,830 | $4,652 | $26.84 | $72,039 |
| Median | $66,090 | $5,508 | $31.77 | $85,277 |
| 75th percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38.46 | $103,226 |
| 90th percentile | $98,760 | $8,230 | $47.48 | $127,432 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $13,910 a year in pay and about $17,948 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $10,260 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 25th percentile and the median in Boulder, and the Colorado statewide median of $78,190 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Boulder
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 $19,187 to the $66,090 median and brings it to $85,277 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 Boulder
Of the 17 roles we track in Boulder, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($66,140) and HR assistants ($59,690). Project Coordinator is the highest at $122,040.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +19.8% | 880 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +0.1% | n/a | |
| Paralegal | this role | 400 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.7% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | -13.3% | 1,440 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Boulder (+5.1%), between customer support specialists (+6.8%) and executive assistants (+3.4%). The typical role here is at +13.5%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost less in Boulder than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 1.7% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Boulder, 1.8% across Colorado and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 10 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $59,880 in Pueblo to $80,500 in Denver-Aurora, a gap of $20,620 a year. Of the 2 areas in Colorado with more paralegals than Boulder, 1 pays less: Colorado Springs, CO ($64,830).
| Area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +5.1% | 350 | |
| Eastern and Southern Colorado (Nonmetro) | +4.6% | 70 | |
| Southwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | +4.6% | n/a | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 400 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -1.9% | 560 | |
| Greeley, CO | -2.2% | 90 | |
| Grand Junction, CO | -7.1% | 100 |
Boulder against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boulder is #127 of 503 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Colorado, Anchorage and Iowa City pay just above Boulder and Springfield and Baltimore-Columbia just below. All four are within $450 a year of the median in Boulder. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA | +0.5% | 330 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | +0.2% | 390 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 400 | ||
| Springfield, MA | -0.4% | 430 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -0.7% | 3,880 | pay | |
| Akron, OH | -8.8% | 410 | jobs | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -8.9% | 400 | jobs | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | -12.8% | 400 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Boulder, CO?
About $85,277 a year at the median, or $7,106 a month: $66,090 in pay plus about $19,187 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Boulder?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $66,090 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,880, the 90th $98,760, and the middle half earned $55,830 to $80,000.
Is Boulder cheaper than the rest of Colorado for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $66,090 against $78,190 statewide. The next area up in Colorado is the Southwest Colorado nonmetro area at $69,110, the next down Colorado Springs at $64,830.
How many paralegals work in Boulder?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Colorado total of 5,620. Only Denver-Aurora and Colorado Springs have more in Colorado.
Does a paralegal cost more than an HR assistant in Boulder?
Yes: $6,400 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,090 and $59,690.
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.