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Paralegal salary and cost of hiring in North Carolina

The median paralegal in North Carolina earned $57,500 a year in May 2025[1], 8.6% below the US median of $62,890. That puts North Carolina at #39 of 51 states for this job.

$57,500median annual wage
$82,143employer cost with benefits
$27.64median per hour
13,650people in this job in North Carolina

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

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
North Carolina$38,570$57,500$84,410
United States$44,740$62,890$101,500
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of paralegals in North Carolina earns $47,640–$71,930; the top tenth earns $84,410 or more, 2.2 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 North Carolina median that makes about $82,143 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].

$82,143local 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 North Carolina

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$61,880
$75,5302,540
Fayetteville, NC
$60,370
$64,270420
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$59,870
$76,1104,140
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$58,650
$68,940860
Asheville, NC
$57,500
$64,190590
Wilmington, NC
$56,060
$64,570580
Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
$55,860
$62,420680
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$52,500
$63,910890
Jacksonville, NC
$51,630
$63,260210
Burlington, NC
$51,620
$62,250110
Winston-Salem, NC
$50,680
$64,630830
Goldsboro, NC
$49,890
$61,99080
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$49,430
$63,150120
Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
$49,430
$57,390250
Rocky Mount, NC
$49,140
$62,540120
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$48,530
$57,390200
Greenville, NC
$47,530
$61,620200
Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
$46,520
$52,520500

Raleigh-Cary, NC pays the most ($61,880) and Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area the least ($46,520): $15,360 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 North Carolina
Wisconsin
$58,500
+1.7%
South Dakota
$58,320
+1.4%
North Carolina
$57,500
+0.0%
Montana
$57,290
-0.4%
Indiana
$57,030
-0.8%

Questions

How much does a paralegal earn in North Carolina?

The median was $57,500 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $47,640 to $71,930.

What does it cost to employ a paralegal in North Carolina?

About $82,143 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in North Carolina do paralegals earn the most?

Raleigh-Cary, NC, with a median of $61,880 a year.

Other roles in North Carolina

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.