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Paralegal salary and cost of hiring in Iowa

The median paralegal in Iowa earned $54,550 a year in May 2025[1], 13.3% below the US median of $62,890. That puts Iowa at #44 of 51 states for this job.

$4,546median pay per month in Iowa
$6,494employer cost per month with benefits
$26.23median pay per hour
2,980people in this job in Iowa

BLS occupation 23-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Iowa$37,900$54,550$83,520
United States$44,740$62,890$101,500
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of paralegals in Iowa earns $47,820–$66,560; the top tenth earns $83,520 or more, 2.2 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Iowa median that makes about $77,929 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$77,929local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Iowa

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Iowa City, IA
$66,400
$83,520330
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$60,080
$76,9301,190
Cedar Rapids, IA
$57,420
$63,590310
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$57,030
$65,980280
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$56,100
$62,65080
Dubuque, IA
$55,740
$62,28080
Ames, IA
$53,180
$63,44060
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$49,730
$56,510190
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$48,840
$53,090210
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$48,670
$53,290100
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$48,030
$59,930120
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$47,870
$47,950140

Iowa City, IA pays the most ($66,400) and Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area the least ($47,870): $18,530 a year apart for the same job.

What a paralegal does

A paralegal supports lawyers with research, document drafting, filing and case management, under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Iowa
Rhode Island
$56,250
+3.1%
Kansas
$55,000
+0.8%
Iowa
$54,550
+0.0%
South Carolina
$53,880
-1.2%
Oklahoma
$53,170
-2.5%

Questions

How much does a paralegal earn in Iowa?

The median was $54,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $47,820 to $66,560.

What does it cost to employ a paralegal in Iowa?

About $77,929 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Iowa do paralegals earn the most?

Iowa City, IA, with a median of $66,400 a year.

Other roles in Iowa

Hire paralegals remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 23-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes232011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.