Paralegal salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
For this job Hilton Head Island-Bluffton sits right at the South Carolina figure, with a median of $53,930 a year1. That is about level with the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880, and 14.2% below the US median of $62,890. Among US areas it comes in at #286 of 506. About 300 paralegals work here, 4% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | $44,470 | $53,930 | $77,590 | |
| South Carolina | $38,020 | $53,880 | $75,640 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $48,010–$66,300. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $77,590, only 1.7 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 $18,290 wide, between the figure for South Carolina ($14,990) and the US figure ($29,740).
What to budget for a paralegal here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,470 | $3,706 | $21.38 | $57,381 |
| 25th percentile | $48,010 | $4,001 | $23.08 | $61,948 |
| Median | $53,930 | $4,494 | $25.93 | $69,587 |
| 75th percentile | $66,300 | $5,525 | $31.88 | $85,548 |
| 90th percentile | $77,590 | $6,466 | $37.30 | $100,116 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $12,370 over the median, the 25th only $5,920 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $15,961 a year in employer cost. 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
At the $53,930 median, a local hire costs about $69,587 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,657 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between office managers ($59,090) and sales development representatives ($51,570). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,990.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +15.5% | 70 | |
| Office Manager | +9.6% | 960 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 300 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.4% | 720 | |
| Bookkeeper | -6.8% | 850 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #10 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-14.2%), between HR assistants (-11.2%) and office managers (-15.0%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost less in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 3.4% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 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. Of the 4 areas in South Carolina with more paralegals than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 1 pays less: Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($49,300).
| Area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC | +6.1% | 1,790 | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +5.7% | 1,490 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | +2.0% | 280 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 300 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -8.6% | 500 | |
| Florence, SC | -10.6% | 210 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | -10.9% | 90 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #156 of 503 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Ogden and Bay City pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Boise City and Owensboro just below. All four are within $610 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +31.9% | 300 | jobs | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | +17.6% | 300 | jobs | |
| Bay City, MI | +0.4% | 40 | pay | |
| Ogden, UT | +0.2% | 380 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 300 | ||
| Boise City, ID | -0.9% | 1,140 | pay | |
| Owensboro, KY | -1.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Ocala, FL | -5.6% | 300 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?
About $69,587 a year at the median, or $5,799 a month: $53,930 in pay plus about $15,657 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
The median was $53,930 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $44,470, the 90th $77,590, and the middle half earned $48,010 to $66,300.
Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for paralegals?
About the same: a median of $53,930 against $53,880 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Spartanburg at $55,000, the next down Myrtle Beach-Conway at $49,300.
How many paralegals work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
BLS counts about 300 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the South Carolina total of 7,420. 4 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Myrtle Beach-Conway, with about 500.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Yes: $2,360 a year more at the median. The medians are $53,930 and $51,570.
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.