Paralegal salary in Sacramento-Roseville, CA
Sacramento-Roseville is a higher-paying market for paralegals: the median of $78,550 a year1 is 1.5% above the California statewide median of $77,390, and 24.9% above the US median of $62,890. Only 8 of 506 US areas pay more for this job. About 2,590 paralegals work here, 5% of the California total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Sacramento-Roseville against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | $51,980 | $78,550 | $113,290 | |
| California | $50,460 | $77,390 | $119,580 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
Paralegals at the 90th percentile earn $113,290, 2.2 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of paralegals in Sacramento-Roseville earns $61,740–$97,910. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $36,170 wide, between the figure for California ($38,260) and the US figure ($29,740).
What to budget for a paralegal here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,980 | $4,332 | $24.99 | $67,071 |
| 25th percentile | $61,740 | $5,145 | $29.68 | $79,665 |
| Median | $78,550 | $6,546 | $37.76 | $101,355 |
| 75th percentile | $97,910 | $8,159 | $47.07 | $126,335 |
| 90th percentile | $113,290 | $9,441 | $54.47 | $146,181 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $19,360 a year in pay and about $24,981 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $16,810 in pay. 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 Sacramento-Roseville, and the California statewide median of $77,390 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Sacramento-Roseville
At the $78,550 median, a local hire costs about $101,355 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,805 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 Sacramento-Roseville
Of the 17 roles we track in Sacramento-Roseville, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($78,630) and office managers ($77,350). Project Coordinator is the highest at $124,350.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +3.1% | 5,360 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.1% | 4,470 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 2,590 | |
| Office Manager | -1.5% | 9,190 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -8.5% | 6,920 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Sacramento-Roseville (+24.9%), between medical administrative assistants (+25.7%) and project coordinators (+21.5%). The typical role here is at +13.0%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in Sacramento-Roseville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 2.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Sacramento-Roseville, 2.8% across California and 2.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $58,280 in Chico to $99,250 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $40,970 a year. Of the 3 areas in California with more paralegals than Sacramento-Roseville, 2 pay less: Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($77,520) and San Diego-Chula Vista, CA ($76,300).
| Area | Median | vs Sacramento-Roseville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +7.0% | 7,630 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +3.0% | 360 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +0.9% | 160 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | this area | 2,590 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | -0.5% | 290 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -1.3% | 22,240 | |
| Napa, CA | -1.9% | 80 |
Sacramento-Roseville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Sacramento-Roseville is #32 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 California, Boston-Cambridge and Denver-Aurora pay just above Sacramento-Roseville and Parkersburg-Vienna and Minneapolis-St. Paul just below. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Sacramento-Roseville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +2.5% | 3,740 | pay | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +1.7% | 6,300 | pay | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | this area | 2,590 | ||
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | -2.7% | 200 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | -3.0% | 5,990 | pay | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -15.1% | 2,660 | jobs | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -19.0% | 2,620 | jobs | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -21.2% | 2,540 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Sacramento-Roseville, CA?
About $101,355 a year at the median, or $8,446 a month: $78,550 in pay plus about $22,805 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Sacramento-Roseville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $78,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,980, the 90th $113,290, and the middle half earned $61,740 to $97,910.
Is Sacramento-Roseville cheaper than the rest of California for paralegals?
No, it costs more: a median of $78,550 against $77,390 statewide. The next area up in California is Vallejo at $79,280, the next down Santa Rosa-Petaluma at $78,160.
How many paralegals work in Sacramento-Roseville?
BLS counts about 2,590 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the California total of 47,130. 3 areas in California have more; the closest in size is San Diego-Chula Vista, with about 4,440.
Does a paralegal cost more than an office manager in Sacramento-Roseville?
Yes: $1,200 a year more at the median. The medians are $78,550 and $77,350.
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.