Paralegal salary in El Paso, TX
Hiring a paralegal costs less in El Paso than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $55,830 a year1: 10.4% below the Texas statewide median of $62,310 and 11.2% below the US median of $62,890. Nationally it ranks #269 of 506 areas. BLS counts about 490 people in this job here, 2% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area El Paso, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in El Paso against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | $36,900 | $55,830 | $83,780 | |
| Texas | $39,190 | $62,310 | $98,440 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in El Paso earns $42,950–$63,560. The top tenth earns $83,780 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $20,610 wide, against $30,330 across Texas and $29,740 nationally: employers in El Paso 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 | $36,900 | $3,075 | $17.74 | $47,613 |
| 25th percentile | $42,950 | $3,579 | $20.65 | $55,419 |
| Median | $55,830 | $4,652 | $26.84 | $72,039 |
| 75th percentile | $63,560 | $5,297 | $30.56 | $82,013 |
| 90th percentile | $83,780 | $6,982 | $40.28 | $108,103 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $7,730 over it, while the 25th sits $12,880 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $9,974 more a year with benefits. 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 El Paso, and the Texas statewide median of $62,310 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in El Paso
At the $55,830 median, a local hire costs about $72,039 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,209 here. 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 El Paso
Of the 17 roles we track in El Paso, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between office managers ($57,930) and marketing specialists ($50,680). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,920.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +5.7% | 1,800 | |
| Office Manager | +3.8% | 4,050 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 490 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.2% | 800 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -12.9% | 490 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in El Paso (-11.2%), between HR assistants (-11.0%) and customer support specialists (-15.9%). The typical role here is at -19.3%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in El Paso than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in El Paso, 1.9% across Texas and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 30 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $45,480 in Brownsville-Harlingen to $64,500 in Midland, a gap of $19,020 a year. Of the 5 areas in Texas with more paralegals than El Paso, 2 pay less: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ($53,300) and McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($47,330).
| Area | Median | vs El Paso | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +3.1% | 330 | |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | +3.0% | 180 | |
| Tyler, TX | +2.7% | 360 | |
| El Paso, TX | this area | 490 | |
| Hill Country Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -3.9% | 190 | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -4.5% | 2,900 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | -5.8% | 60 |
El Paso against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, El Paso is #106 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 Texas, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach and Clarksville pay just above El Paso and Dubuque and Albany just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in El Paso. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs El Paso | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +11.1% | 500 | jobs | |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | +8.1% | 490 | jobs | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +5.4% | 490 | jobs | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +0.3% | 240 | pay | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | +0.2% | 180 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | this area | 490 | ||
| Dubuque, IA | -0.2% | 80 | pay | |
| Albany, OR | -0.4% | 60 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in El Paso, TX?
About $72,039 a year at the median, or $6,003 a month: $55,830 in pay plus about $16,209 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in El Paso?
The median was $55,830 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,900, the 90th $83,780, and the middle half earned $42,950 to $63,560.
Is El Paso cheaper than the rest of Texas for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,830 against $62,310 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Tyler at $57,320, the next down the Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetro area at $53,630.
How many paralegals work in El Paso?
BLS counts about 490 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Texas total of 29,540. 5 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is McAllen-Edinburg, with about 560.
Does a paralegal cost more than a marketing specialist in El Paso?
Yes: $5,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,830 and $50,680.
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.