Paralegal salary in Lancaster, PA
Lancaster is a lower-cost market for paralegals: the median of $61,780 a year1 is 2.5% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $63,370, and 1.8% below the US median of $62,890. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#106 of 506). BLS counts about 330 people in this job here, 2% of the Pennsylvania total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Lancaster, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lancaster against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, PA | $47,420 | $61,780 | $88,230 | |
| Pennsylvania | $45,710 | $63,370 | $96,080 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Lancaster earns $50,740–$77,040. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $88,230, only 1.9 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 $26,300 wide, against $28,270 across Pennsylvania and $29,740 nationally: employers in Lancaster 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 | $47,420 | $3,952 | $22.80 | $61,187 |
| 25th percentile | $50,740 | $4,228 | $24.39 | $65,471 |
| Median | $61,780 | $5,148 | $29.70 | $79,716 |
| 75th percentile | $77,040 | $6,420 | $37.04 | $99,406 |
| 90th percentile | $88,230 | $7,352 | $42.42 | $113,845 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $11,040 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $15,260, or about $19,690 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 Lancaster, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $63,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lancaster
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 $17,936 to the $61,780 median and brings it to $79,716 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 Lancaster
Of the 17 roles we track in Lancaster, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($63,160) and payroll specialists ($55,140). Project Coordinator is the highest at $95,820.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +3.7% | 1,890 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +2.2% | 1,570 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 330 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -10.7% | 250 | |
| Bookkeeper | -22.0% | 2,190 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Lancaster (-1.8%), between customer support specialists (-1.1%) and administrative assistants (-2.7%). The typical role here is at -5.9%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in Lancaster than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 1.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lancaster, 2.6% across Pennsylvania and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 19 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $49,110 in Altoona to $70,430 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $21,320 a year. Of the 5 areas in Pennsylvania with more paralegals than Lancaster, 3 pay less: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA ($60,360), Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ ($61,000) and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA ($57,600).
| Area | Median | vs Lancaster | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +14.0% | 11,150 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | +3.0% | 2,620 | |
| Lancaster, PA | this area | 330 | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | -1.3% | 430 | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | -2.3% | 1,000 | |
| Lebanon, PA | -3.7% | 40 | |
| York-Hanover, PA | -3.9% | 240 |
Lancaster against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lancaster is #148 of 503 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Pennsylvania, Morgantown and Raleigh-Cary pay just above Lancaster and Ann Arbor and Riverside-San Bernardino just below. All four are within $320 a year of the median in Lancaster. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lancaster | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +7.7% | 330 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | +7.5% | 330 | jobs | |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | +2.4% | 330 | jobs | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +0.2% | 2,540 | pay | |
| Morgantown, WV | +0.1% | 100 | pay | |
| Lancaster, PA | this area | 330 | ||
| Ann Arbor, MI | -0.5% | 380 | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.5% | 2,460 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Lancaster, PA?
About $79,716 a year at the median, or $6,643 a month: $61,780 in pay plus about $17,936 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Lancaster?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,420, the 90th $88,230, and the middle half earned $50,740 to $77,040.
Is Lancaster cheaper than the rest of Pennsylvania for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,780 against $63,370 statewide. The next area up in Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh at $63,620, the next down Allentown-Bethlehem at $61,000.
How many paralegals work in Lancaster?
BLS counts about 330 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Pennsylvania total of 14,670. 5 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, with about 400.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Lancaster?
Yes: $6,640 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,780 and $55,140.
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.