Paralegal salary in Honolulu, HI
Honolulu is the least expensive place in Hawaii to hire a paralegal. The median is $62,840 a year1, about level with the Hawaii statewide median of $62,840 and about level with the US median of $62,890. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#86 of 506). With about 880 paralegals, 75% of the Hawaii total, no area in Hawaii employs more.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Urban Honolulu, HI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Honolulu against Hawaii and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $46,990 | $62,840 | $86,250 | |
| Hawaii | $47,010 | $62,840 | $85,440 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Honolulu earns $54,630–$76,920. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $86,250, only 1.8 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 $22,290 wide, against $22,450 across Hawaii and $29,740 nationally: employers in Honolulu 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 | $46,990 | $3,916 | $22.59 | $60,632 |
| 25th percentile | $54,630 | $4,552 | $26.26 | $70,490 |
| Median | $62,840 | $5,237 | $30.21 | $81,084 |
| 75th percentile | $76,920 | $6,410 | $36.98 | $99,252 |
| 90th percentile | $86,250 | $7,188 | $41.47 | $111,290 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $14,080 over the median, the 25th only $8,210 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $18,168 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 Honolulu, and the Hawaii statewide median of $62,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Honolulu
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 $18,244 to the $62,840 median and brings it to $81,084 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 Honolulu
Of the 17 roles we track in Honolulu, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between office managers ($62,980) and sales development representatives ($61,710). Executive Assistant is the highest at $80,600.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +0.2% | 1,090 | |
| Office Manager | +0.2% | 7,220 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 880 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -1.8% | 2,430 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -3.2% | 530 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Honolulu (-0.1%), between e-commerce order specialists (+1.3%) and customer support specialists (-0.3%). The typical role here is at -0.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 2.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Honolulu, 2.2% across Hawaii and 2.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Hawaii
Across the 3 areas of Hawaii with data for this job, the median runs from $62,840 in Honolulu to $67,480 in Kahului-Wailuku, a gap of $4,640 a year. No other area in Hawaii has as many paralegals, and none of the others pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Honolulu | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +7.4% | 100 | |
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | +0.7% | 190 | |
| Honolulu, HI | this area | 880 |
Honolulu against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Honolulu is #71 of 503 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Hawaii, Richmond and El Centro pay just above Honolulu and Houston-Pasadena and Phoenix-Mesa just below. All four are within $220 a year of the median in Honolulu. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Honolulu | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | +0.3% | 60 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | +0.2% | 1,930 | pay | |
| Honolulu, HI | this area | 880 | ||
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -0.2% | 7,320 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -0.4% | 6,280 | pay | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -0.7% | 870 | jobs | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -6.7% | 860 | jobs | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -16.5% | 890 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Honolulu, HI?
About $81,084 a year at the median, or $6,757 a month: $62,840 in pay plus about $18,244 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Honolulu?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $62,840 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,990, the 90th $86,250, and the middle half earned $54,630 to $76,920.
Is Honolulu the cheapest area in Hawaii for paralegals?
Yes. Its median of $62,840 is the lowest of 3 areas in Hawaii. The Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area is next at $63,270.
How many paralegals work in Honolulu?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 75% of the Hawaii total of 1,170. No other area in Hawaii has as many.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Honolulu?
Yes: $1,130 a year more at the median. The medians are $62,840 and $61,710.
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.