Paralegal salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA
No other area in Louisiana pays paralegals more than New Orleans-Metairie: the median is $64,780 a year1. That is 7.5% above the Louisiana statewide median of $60,250, and 3.0% above the US median of $62,890. Nationally that is #50 of 506 areas, in the top tenth. With about 2,120 paralegals, 43% of the Louisiana total, no area in Louisiana employs more.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area New Orleans-Metairie, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in New Orleans-Metairie against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $41,040 | $64,780 | $79,880 | |
| Louisiana | $36,960 | $60,250 | $78,230 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in New Orleans-Metairie earns $51,730–$76,110. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $79,880, only 1.9 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($64,370) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,380 wide, against $25,270 across Louisiana and $29,740 nationally: employers in New Orleans-Metairie 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 | $41,040 | $3,420 | $19.73 | $52,955 |
| 25th percentile | $51,730 | $4,311 | $24.87 | $66,748 |
| Median | $64,780 | $5,398 | $31.14 | $83,587 |
| 75th percentile | $76,110 | $6,342 | $36.59 | $98,206 |
| 90th percentile | $79,880 | $6,657 | $38.40 | $103,071 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,050 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $11,330, or about $14,619 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 New Orleans-Metairie, and the Louisiana statewide median of $60,250 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in New Orleans-Metairie
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 $18,807 to the $64,780 median and brings it to $83,587 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Of the 17 roles we track in New Orleans-Metairie, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($65,590) and recruiters ($64,780). Project Coordinator is the highest at $85,410.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +20.3% | 3,740 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +1.3% | 1,580 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 2,120 | |
| Recruiter | +0.0% | 1,900 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.8% | 2,200 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in New Orleans-Metairie (+3.0%); executive assistants come last (-21.2%). The typical role here is at -11.9%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in New Orleans-Metairie than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 5.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in New Orleans-Metairie, 2.8% 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. No other area in Louisiana has as many paralegals, and all 11 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs New Orleans-Metairie | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | this area | 2,120 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -8.9% | 960 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -9.1% | 240 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -10.4% | 200 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -12.4% | 120 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -19.5% | 470 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -23.8% | 70 |
New Orleans-Metairie against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, New Orleans-Metairie is #40 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 Louisiana, Colorado Springs and Baltimore-Columbia pay just above New Orleans-Metairie and Santa Cruz-Watsonville and Salt Lake City-Murray just below. All four are within $860 a year of the median in New Orleans-Metairie. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs New Orleans-Metairie | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +53.2% | 2,030 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +1.3% | 3,880 | pay | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | +0.1% | 560 | pay | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | this area | 2,120 | ||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -0.1% | 150 | pay | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -0.2% | 2,140 | pay | |
| Jacksonville, FL | -3.6% | 2,170 | jobs | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -10.0% | 2,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
About $83,587 a year at the median, or $6,966 a month: $64,780 in pay plus about $18,807 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in New Orleans-Metairie?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $64,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,040, the 90th $79,880, and the middle half earned $51,730 to $76,110.
Is New Orleans-Metairie the most expensive area in Louisiana for paralegals?
Yes. Its median of $64,780 is the highest of 12 areas in Louisiana. Baton Rouge comes next at $59,030.
How many paralegals work in New Orleans-Metairie?
BLS counts about 2,120 in the May 2025 survey. That is 43% of the Louisiana total of 4,890. No other area in Louisiana has as many.
Does a paralegal cost more than a recruiter in New Orleans-Metairie?
They are level. The medians are $64,780 and $64,780.
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.