Paralegal salary in Greenville-Anderson, SC
No other area in South Carolina pays paralegals more than Greenville-Anderson: the median is $57,780 a year1. That is 7.2% above the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880, and 8.1% below the US median of $62,890. Among US areas it comes in at #221 of 506. About 1,600 paralegals work here, 22% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Greenville-Anderson against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | $39,060 | $57,780 | $76,180 | |
| South Carolina | $38,020 | $53,880 | $75,640 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Greenville-Anderson earns $48,160–$61,620. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $76,180, only 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($56,900) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,460 wide, against $14,990 across South Carolina and $29,740 nationally: employers in Greenville-Anderson 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 | $39,060 | $3,255 | $18.78 | $50,400 |
| 25th percentile | $48,160 | $4,013 | $23.15 | $62,142 |
| Median | $57,780 | $4,815 | $27.78 | $74,555 |
| 75th percentile | $61,620 | $5,135 | $29.62 | $79,510 |
| 90th percentile | $76,180 | $6,348 | $36.62 | $98,297 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $3,840 over it, while the 25th sits $9,620 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $4,955 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Greenville-Anderson, and the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local paralegals earn.
What a hire really costs in Greenville-Anderson
At the $57,780 median, a local hire costs about $74,555 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,775 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 Greenville-Anderson
Of the 17 roles we track in Greenville-Anderson, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between office managers ($63,630) and payroll specialists ($53,560). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,780.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +15.7% | 2,430 | |
| Office Manager | +10.1% | 4,650 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 1,600 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -7.3% | 280 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -10.9% | 4,300 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Greenville-Anderson (-8.1%), between payroll specialists (-8.1%) and accountants (-8.1%). The typical role here is at -8.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 3.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Greenville-Anderson, 3.0% across South Carolina and 2.5% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $46,690 in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area to $57,780 in Greenville-Anderson, a gap of $11,090 a year. The one area in South Carolina with more paralegals, Columbia, SC ($57,220), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Greenville-Anderson | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | this area | 1,600 | |
| Columbia, SC | -1.0% | 1,790 | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | -1.3% | 1,490 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -4.8% | 280 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -6.7% | 300 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -14.7% | 500 | |
| Florence, SC | -16.5% | 210 |
Greenville-Anderson against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Greenville-Anderson is #51 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 South Carolina, Duluth and Kokomo pay just above Greenville-Anderson and Wildwood-The Villages and Canton-Massillon just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Greenville-Anderson. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Greenville-Anderson | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +3.8% | 1,600 | jobs | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +3.5% | 1,670 | jobs | |
| Kokomo, IN | +0.3% | 50 | pay | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | +0.0% | 180 | pay | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | this area | 1,600 | ||
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -0.1% | 50 | pay | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | -0.1% | 210 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -0.4% | 1,650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Greenville-Anderson, SC?
About $74,555 a year at the median, or $6,213 a month: $57,780 in pay plus about $16,775 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Greenville-Anderson?
The median was $57,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,060, the 90th $76,180, and the middle half earned $48,160 to $61,620.
Is Greenville-Anderson the most expensive area in South Carolina for paralegals?
Yes. Its median of $57,780 is the highest of 11 areas in South Carolina. Columbia comes next at $57,220.
How many paralegals work in Greenville-Anderson?
BLS counts about 1,600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 22% of the South Carolina total of 7,420. Only Columbia has more in South Carolina.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Greenville-Anderson?
Yes: $4,220 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,780 and $53,560.
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.