Paralegal salary in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre is a lower-cost market for paralegals: the median of $57,600 a year1 is 9.1% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $63,370, and 8.4% below the US median of $62,890. Nationally it ranks #225 of 506 areas. BLS counts about 400 people in this job here, 3% of the Pennsylvania total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | $41,920 | $57,600 | $76,950 | |
| Pennsylvania | $45,710 | $63,370 | $96,080 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre earns $44,100–$66,700. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $76,950, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $22,600 wide, against $28,270 across Pennsylvania and $29,740 nationally: employers in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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 | $41,920 | $3,493 | $20.15 | $54,090 |
| 25th percentile | $44,100 | $3,675 | $21.20 | $56,903 |
| Median | $57,600 | $4,800 | $27.69 | $74,323 |
| 75th percentile | $66,700 | $5,558 | $32.07 | $86,065 |
| 90th percentile | $76,950 | $6,412 | $37.00 | $99,290 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,500 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $9,100, or about $11,742 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 median and the 75th percentile in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $63,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
At the $57,600 median, a local hire costs about $74,323 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,723 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
Of the 17 roles we track in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($60,440) and sales development representatives ($56,330). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,820.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +8.3% | 2,500 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +4.9% | 770 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 400 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -2.2% | 1,070 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -14.8% | 180 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre (-8.4%), between bookkeepers (-7.5%) and data entry specialists (-10.0%). The typical role here is at -10.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 2.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, 2.6% across Pennsylvania and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 19 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $49,110 in Altoona to $70,430 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $21,320 a year. All 4 areas in Pennsylvania with more paralegals than Scranton-Wilkes-Barre also pay more, among them Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ ($70,430) and Pittsburgh, PA ($63,620).
| Area | Median | vs Scranton-Wilkes-Barre | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, PA | +1.7% | 200 | |
| Johnstown, PA | +1.4% | 50 | |
| State College, PA | +0.1% | 80 | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | this area | 400 | |
| Erie, PA | -2.7% | 170 | |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | -9.3% | 120 | |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | -10.8% | 160 |
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Scranton-Wilkes-Barre is #129 of 503 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Pennsylvania, Canton-Massillon and Wildwood-The Villages pay just above Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and Fargo and Oklahoma City just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Scranton-Wilkes-Barre | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +14.7% | 400 | jobs | |
| Akron, OH | +4.7% | 410 | jobs | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +4.5% | 400 | jobs | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | +0.2% | 50 | pay | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | +0.2% | 210 | pay | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | this area | 400 | ||
| Fargo, ND-MN | -0.1% | 310 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -0.1% | 1,650 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA?
About $74,323 a year at the median, or $6,194 a month: $57,600 in pay plus about $16,723 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
The median was $57,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,920, the 90th $76,950, and the middle half earned $44,100 to $66,700.
Is Scranton-Wilkes-Barre cheaper than the rest of Pennsylvania for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $57,600 against $63,370 statewide. The next area up in Pennsylvania is State College at $57,680, the next down Erie at $56,040.
How many paralegals work in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Pennsylvania total of 14,670. 4 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is Allentown-Bethlehem, with about 430.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
Yes: $1,270 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,600 and $56,330.
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.