Paralegal salary in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL
Hiring a paralegal costs less in Palm Bay-Melbourne than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $58,250 a year1: 4.5% below the Florida statewide median of $61,000 and 7.4% below the US median of $62,890. Nationally it ranks #215 of 506 areas. About 610 paralegals work here, 1% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Palm Bay-Melbourne against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | $37,230 | $58,250 | $76,460 | |
| Florida | $38,830 | $61,000 | $83,410 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Palm Bay-Melbourne earns $48,210–$73,770. The top tenth earns $76,460 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 $25,560 wide, against $27,550 across Florida and $29,740 nationally: employers in Palm Bay-Melbourne 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 | $37,230 | $3,102 | $17.90 | $48,039 |
| 25th percentile | $48,210 | $4,018 | $23.18 | $62,206 |
| Median | $58,250 | $4,854 | $28.00 | $75,161 |
| 75th percentile | $73,770 | $6,148 | $35.47 | $95,187 |
| 90th percentile | $76,460 | $6,372 | $36.76 | $98,658 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $15,520 over the median, the 25th only $10,040 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $20,026 a year in employer cost. 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne, and the Florida statewide median of $61,000 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Palm Bay-Melbourne
At the $58,250 median, a local hire costs about $75,161 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,911 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne
Of the 17 roles we track in Palm Bay-Melbourne, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($60,290) and payroll specialists ($52,610). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,870.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +7.6% | 1,500 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +3.5% | 1,920 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 610 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -9.7% | 210 | |
| HR Assistant | -10.4% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Palm Bay-Melbourne (-7.4%), between bookkeepers (-7.3%) and office managers (-8.8%). The typical role here is at -7.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 2.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Palm Bay-Melbourne, 3.5% across Florida and 2.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 24 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $47,840 in Gainesville to $64,660 in Naples-Marco Island, a gap of $16,820 a year. Of the 9 areas in Florida with more paralegals than Palm Bay-Melbourne, 3 pay less: Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL ($56,140), Tallahassee, FL ($56,660) and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL ($49,520).
| Area | Median | vs Palm Bay-Melbourne | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | +3.3% | 6,630 | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +3.1% | 990 | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | +2.1% | 5,480 | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | this area | 610 | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -0.9% | 50 | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | -2.0% | 510 | |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | -2.2% | 190 |
Palm Bay-Melbourne against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Palm Bay-Melbourne is #88 of 503 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Florida, Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Chico pay just above Palm Bay-Melbourne and Slidell-Mandeville and Kokomo just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in Palm Bay-Melbourne. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Palm Bay-Melbourne | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +5.3% | 600 | jobs | |
| Savannah, GA | +3.6% | 610 | jobs | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +2.2% | 610 | jobs | |
| Chico, CA | +0.1% | 90 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +0.0% | 2,060 | pay | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | this area | 610 | ||
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -0.3% | 200 | pay | |
| Kokomo, IN | -0.5% | 50 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL?
About $75,161 a year at the median, or $6,263 a month: $58,250 in pay plus about $16,911 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
The median was $58,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,230, the 90th $76,460, and the middle half earned $48,210 to $73,770.
Is Palm Bay-Melbourne cheaper than the rest of Florida for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $58,250 against $61,000 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Orlando-Kissimmee at $59,470, the next down Wildwood-The Villages at $57,740.
How many paralegals work in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
BLS counts about 610 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Florida total of 40,950. 9 areas in Florida have more; the closest in size is Lakeland-Winter Haven, with about 630.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
Yes: $5,640 a year more at the median. The medians are $58,250 and $52,610.
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.