Paralegal salary in Lafayette, LA
Hiring a paralegal costs less in Lafayette than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $52,130 a year1: 13.5% below the Louisiana statewide median of $60,250 and 17.1% below the US median of $62,890. Nationally it ranks #307 of 506 areas. About 470 paralegals work here, 10% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Lafayette, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $36,460 | $52,130 | $74,720 | |
| Louisiana | $36,960 | $60,250 | $78,230 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Lafayette earns $46,340–$64,400. The top tenth earns $74,720 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $18,060 wide, against $25,270 across Louisiana and $29,740 nationally: employers in Lafayette 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 | $36,460 | $3,038 | $17.53 | $47,045 |
| 25th percentile | $46,340 | $3,862 | $22.28 | $59,794 |
| Median | $52,130 | $4,344 | $25.06 | $67,265 |
| 75th percentile | $64,400 | $5,367 | $30.96 | $83,097 |
| 90th percentile | $74,720 | $6,227 | $35.92 | $96,413 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $12,270 over the median, the 25th only $5,790 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $15,832 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 Lafayette, and the Louisiana statewide median of $60,250 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette
At the $52,130 median, a local hire costs about $67,265 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,135 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 Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between recruiters ($56,070) and office managers ($51,630). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,720.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +8.7% | 420 | |
| Recruiter | +7.6% | 540 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 470 | |
| Office Manager | -1.0% | 1,830 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -3.1% | 200 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette (-17.1%), between sales development representatives (-16.8%) and customer support specialists (-17.8%). The typical role here is at -18.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 3.2% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette, 3.0% across Louisiana and 2.5% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 12 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $44,740 in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area to $64,780 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $20,040 a year. All 2 areas in Louisiana with more paralegals than Lafayette also pay more, among them New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($64,780) and Baton Rouge, LA ($59,030).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +13.0% | 240 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +11.4% | 200 | |
| Alexandria, LA | +8.9% | 120 | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 470 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -5.3% | 70 | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -5.4% | 100 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -6.1% | 220 |
Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette is #114 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 Louisiana, Columbus and Tucson pay just above Lafayette and Racine-Mount Pleasant and Huntington-Ashland just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | +12.6% | 470 | jobs | |
| Salem, OR | +9.8% | 480 | jobs | |
| Charleston, WV | +5.1% | 480 | jobs | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.6% | 980 | pay | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | +0.3% | 220 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 470 | ||
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | -0.2% | 130 | pay | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | -0.5% | 240 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Lafayette, LA?
About $67,265 a year at the median, or $5,605 a month: $52,130 in pay plus about $15,135 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Lafayette?
The median was $52,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,460, the 90th $74,720, and the middle half earned $46,340 to $64,400.
Is Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $52,130 against $60,250 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Alexandria at $56,760, the next down the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area at $49,360.
How many paralegals work in Lafayette?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Louisiana total of 4,890. Only New Orleans-Metairie and Baton Rouge have more in Louisiana.
Does a paralegal cost more than an office manager in Lafayette?
Yes: $500 a year more at the median. The medians are $52,130 and $51,630.
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.