Paralegal salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
Minneapolis-St. Paul is the most expensive place in Minnesota to hire a paralegal. The median is $76,220 a year1, about level with the Minnesota statewide median of $75,570 and 21.2% above the US median of $62,890. Nationally that is #15 of 506 areas, in the top tenth. With about 5,990 paralegals, no area in Minnesota employs more.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | $49,230 | $76,220 | $105,220 | |
| Minnesota | $47,730 | $75,570 | $102,920 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Minneapolis-St. Paul earns $60,310–$86,950. The top tenth earns $105,220 or more, 2.1 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 $26,640 wide, against $27,190 across Minnesota and $29,740 nationally: employers in Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 | $49,230 | $4,102 | $23.67 | $63,523 |
| 25th percentile | $60,310 | $5,026 | $29.00 | $77,819 |
| Median | $76,220 | $6,352 | $36.64 | $98,348 |
| 75th percentile | $86,950 | $7,246 | $41.80 | $112,194 |
| 90th percentile | $105,220 | $8,768 | $50.59 | $135,768 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,910 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,730, or about $13,845 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 25th percentile and the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the Minnesota statewide median of $75,570 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Minneapolis-St. Paul
At the $76,220 median, a local hire costs about $98,348 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,128 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($77,120) and payroll specialists ($63,060). Marketing Specialist is the highest at $97,910.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +2.9% | 14,480 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +1.2% | 14,070 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 5,990 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -17.3% | 1,920 | |
| Bookkeeper | -24.2% | 16,510 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul (+21.2%), between marketing specialists (+24.3%) and bookkeepers (+14.1%). The typical role here is at +10.5%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in Minneapolis-St. Paul than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 2.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Minneapolis-St. Paul, 2.5% across Minnesota and 2.5% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $57,150 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $76,220 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $19,070 a year. No other area in Minnesota has as many paralegals, and all 8 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 5,990 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -16.0% | 190 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -18.3% | 100 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -19.4% | 250 | |
| Rochester, MN | -19.7% | 200 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -21.4% | 210 | |
| Mankato, MN | -21.9% | 100 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Minneapolis-St. Paul is #15 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 Minnesota, San Diego-Chula Vista and Parkersburg-Vienna pay just above Minneapolis-St. Paul and Portland-Vancouver and New York-Newark just below. All four are within $890 a year of the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +21.9% | 6,310 | jobs | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +4.8% | 6,300 | jobs | |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | +0.2% | 200 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +0.1% | 4,440 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 5,990 | ||
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | -1.0% | 3,510 | pay | |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | -1.2% | 33,850 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -17.8% | 6,280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI?
About $98,348 a year at the median, or $8,196 a month: $76,220 in pay plus about $22,128 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $76,220 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,230, the 90th $105,220, and the middle half earned $60,310 to $86,950.
Is Minneapolis-St. Paul the most expensive area in Minnesota for paralegals?
Yes. Its median of $76,220 is the highest of 9 areas in Minnesota. The Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area comes next at $64,020.
How many paralegals work in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
BLS counts about 5,990 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Minnesota has as many.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Yes: $13,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,220 and $63,060.
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.