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Paralegal salary and cost of hiring in New York

The median paralegal in New York earned $68,410 a year in May 2025[1], 8.8% above the US median of $62,890. That puts New York at #9 of 51 states for this job.

$68,410median annual wage
$97,729employer cost with benefits
$32.89median per hour
34,220people in this job in New York

BLS occupation 23-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
New York$48,330$68,410$115,720
United States$44,740$62,890$101,500
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of paralegals in New York earns $57,430–$94,200; the top tenth earns $115,720 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the New York median that makes about $97,729 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$97,729local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in New York

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$75,330
$97,72033,850
Kingston, NY
$62,210
$79,000140
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY
$61,350
$76,160600
Syracuse, NY
$61,150
$77,760970
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
$60,680
$70,2501,340
Ithaca, NY
$60,550
$74,07080
Binghamton, NY
$60,420
$61,870240
Glens Falls, NY
$59,170
$64,210100
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
$58,270
$65,6402,060
Rochester, NY
$57,250
$65,3401,300
Elmira, NY
$56,230
$72,05050
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
$56,190
$68,28050
Utica-Rome, NY
$54,850
$65,120170
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area
$53,030
$63,860220
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area
$49,110
$63,680310
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area
$47,850
$61,720160

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ pays the most ($75,330) and Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area the least ($47,850): $27,480 a year apart for the same job.

What a paralegal does

A paralegal supports lawyers with research, document drafting, filing and case management, under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs New York
New Jersey
$71,500
+4.5%
Alaska
$68,700
+0.4%
New York
$68,410
+0.0%
Vermont
$67,160
-1.8%
Maryland
$65,640
-4.0%

Questions

How much does a paralegal earn in New York?

The median was $68,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $57,430 to $94,200.

What does it cost to employ a paralegal in New York?

About $97,729 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in New York do paralegals earn the most?

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, with a median of $75,330 a year.

Other roles in New York

Hire paralegals remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 23-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes232011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.