Paralegal salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX
Pay for this job in Houston-Pasadena tracks the wider market: a median of $62,730 a year1, about level with the Texas statewide median of $62,310 and about level with the US median of $62,890. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#87 of 506). About 7,320 paralegals work here, 25% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Houston-Pasadena against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | $42,160 | $62,730 | $101,370 | |
| Texas | $39,190 | $62,310 | $98,440 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Houston-Pasadena earns $49,840–$80,230. The top tenth earns $101,370 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. The mean ($69,250) 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 $30,390 wide, wider than in Texas as a whole ($30,330) and the US ($29,740), so what a paralegal earns in Houston-Pasadena depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a paralegal here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,160 | $3,513 | $20.27 | $54,400 |
| 25th percentile | $49,840 | $4,153 | $23.96 | $64,310 |
| Median | $62,730 | $5,228 | $30.16 | $80,942 |
| 75th percentile | $80,230 | $6,686 | $38.57 | $103,523 |
| 90th percentile | $101,370 | $8,448 | $48.74 | $130,800 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,890 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $17,500, or about $22,581 once benefits are added. 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 Houston-Pasadena, and the Texas statewide median of $62,310 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Houston-Pasadena
At the $62,730 median, a local hire costs about $80,942 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,212 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 Houston-Pasadena
Of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($63,090) and payroll specialists ($54,090). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +5.2% | 36,940 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +0.6% | 28,720 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 7,320 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -13.8% | 3,260 | |
| Bookkeeper | -21.2% | 26,090 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena (-0.3%), between accountants (+1.7%) and e-commerce order specialists (-1.2%). The typical role here is at -3.7%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in Houston-Pasadena than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 2.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Houston-Pasadena, 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. The one area in Texas with more paralegals, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($63,220), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | +2.8% | 100 | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +2.2% | 4,390 | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +0.8% | 8,320 | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 7,320 | |
| Odessa, TX | -4.5% | 100 | |
| Amarillo, TX | -4.8% | 190 | |
| Eastern Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -5.6% | 120 |
Houston-Pasadena against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Houston-Pasadena is #10 of 503 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Texas, Honolulu and Richmond pay just above Houston-Pasadena and Phoenix-Mesa and Kennewick-Richland just below. All four are within $230 a year of the median in Houston-Pasadena. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +48.1% | 6,310 | jobs | |
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +34.0% | 7,630 | jobs | |
| Richmond, VA | +0.3% | 1,930 | pay | |
| Honolulu, HI | +0.2% | 880 | pay | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 7,320 | ||
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -0.2% | 6,280 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.4% | 270 | pay | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | -4.1% | 6,630 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Houston-Pasadena, TX?
About $80,942 a year at the median, or $6,745 a month: $62,730 in pay plus about $18,212 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Houston-Pasadena?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $62,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,160, the 90th $101,370, and the middle half earned $49,840 to $80,230.
Is Houston-Pasadena cheaper than the rest of Texas for paralegals?
About the same: a median of $62,730 against $62,310 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Dallas-Fort Worth at $63,220, the next down Odessa at $59,890.
How many paralegals work in Houston-Pasadena?
BLS counts about 7,320 in the May 2025 survey. That is 25% of the Texas total of 29,540. Only Dallas-Fort Worth has more in Texas.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Houston-Pasadena?
Yes: $8,640 a year more at the median. The medians are $62,730 and $54,090.
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.