Paralegal salary in Madison, WI
No other area in Wisconsin pays paralegals more than Madison: the median is $60,800 a year1. That is 3.9% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $58,500, and 3.3% below the US median of $62,890. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#125 of 506). About 850 paralegals work here, 18% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Madison, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Madison against Wisconsin and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | $47,520 | $60,800 | $82,770 | |
| Wisconsin | $45,220 | $58,500 | $86,210 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Madison earns $48,360–$74,020. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $82,770, only 1.7 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 $25,660 wide, between the figure for Wisconsin ($23,440) and the US figure ($29,740).
What to budget for a paralegal here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,520 | $3,960 | $22.85 | $61,316 |
| 25th percentile | $48,360 | $4,030 | $23.25 | $62,400 |
| Median | $60,800 | $5,067 | $29.23 | $78,452 |
| 75th percentile | $74,020 | $6,168 | $35.59 | $95,510 |
| 90th percentile | $82,770 | $6,898 | $39.79 | $106,800 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $13,220 a year in pay and about $17,058 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $12,440 in pay. 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 Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $58,500 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Madison
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 $17,652 to the $60,800 median and brings it to $78,452 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 Madison
Of the 17 roles we track in Madison, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($63,500) and bookkeepers ($53,240). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,990.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +8.3% | 4,060 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +4.4% | 360 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 850 | |
| Bookkeeper | -12.4% | 3,760 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -15.4% | 4,630 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (-3.3%), between project coordinators (-3.3%) and sales development representatives (-5.9%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost less in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 1.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 1.7% across Wisconsin and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $45,590 in Wausau to $60,800 in Madison, a gap of $15,210 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more paralegals, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($60,340), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | this area | 850 | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.8% | 1,880 | |
| Appleton, WI | -5.5% | 180 | |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | -6.6% | 120 | |
| Kenosha, WI | -9.6% | 110 | |
| Western Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -12.1% | 90 | |
| Northeastern Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -12.2% | 150 |
Madison against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Madison is #74 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 Wisconsin, Cleveland and Allentown-Bethlehem pay just above Madison and Nashville-Murfreesboro and Cape Coral-Fort Myers just below. All four are within $200 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +2.6% | 870 | jobs | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | +0.3% | 430 | pay | |
| Cleveland, OH | +0.3% | 2,960 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 850 | ||
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +0.0% | 2,660 | pay | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | -0.2% | 910 | pay | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -3.5% | 860 | jobs | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -16.6% | 830 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Madison, WI?
About $78,452 a year at the median, or $6,538 a month: $60,800 in pay plus about $17,652 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Madison?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $60,800 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,520, the 90th $82,770, and the middle half earned $48,360 to $74,020.
Is Madison the most expensive area in Wisconsin for paralegals?
Yes. Its median of $60,800 is the highest of 17 areas in Wisconsin. Milwaukee-Waukesha comes next at $60,340.
How many paralegals work in Madison?
BLS counts about 850 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the Wisconsin total of 4,780. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.
Does a paralegal cost more than a bookkeeper in Madison?
Yes: $7,560 a year more at the median. The medians are $60,800 and $53,240.
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.