Paralegal salary in Spartanburg, SC
For this job Spartanburg sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $55,000 a year1. That is 2.1% above the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880, and 12.5% below the US median of $62,890. Among US areas it comes in at #277 of 506. The market is small, about 280 people, 4% of the South Carolina total, so expect few local candidates at a time.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Spartanburg, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Spartanburg against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | $38,980 | $55,000 | $74,890 | |
| South Carolina | $38,020 | $53,880 | $75,640 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Spartanburg earns $47,350–$62,110. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $74,890, only 1.9 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 $14,760 wide, against $14,990 across South Carolina and $29,740 nationally: employers in Spartanburg 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 | $38,980 | $3,248 | $18.74 | $50,297 |
| 25th percentile | $47,350 | $3,946 | $22.76 | $61,097 |
| Median | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26.44 | $70,968 |
| 75th percentile | $62,110 | $5,176 | $29.86 | $80,142 |
| 90th percentile | $74,890 | $6,241 | $36.00 | $96,632 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,110 a year in pay and about $9,174 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,650 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Spartanburg, and the South Carolina statewide median of $53,880 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local paralegals earn.
What a hire really costs in Spartanburg
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $15,968 to the $55,000 median and brings it to $70,968 a year. 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 Spartanburg
Of the 17 roles we track in Spartanburg, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($59,470) and payroll specialists ($54,150). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,810.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +13.4% | 1,420 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +8.1% | 940 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 280 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -1.5% | 110 | |
| Bookkeeper | -11.9% | 1,150 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Spartanburg (-12.5%), between recruiters (-11.2%) and medical administrative assistants (-12.8%). The typical role here is at -8.0%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost less in Spartanburg than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 2.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Spartanburg, 3.0% across South Carolina and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $46,690 in the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area to $57,780 in Greenville-Anderson, a gap of $11,090 a year. Of the 5 areas in South Carolina with more paralegals than Spartanburg, 2 pay less: Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($49,300) and Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC ($53,930).
| Area | Median | vs Spartanburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | +5.1% | 1,600 | |
| Columbia, SC | +4.0% | 1,790 | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +3.7% | 1,490 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | this area | 280 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -1.9% | 300 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -10.4% | 500 | |
| Florence, SC | -12.3% | 210 |
Spartanburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Spartanburg is #166 of 503 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Corvallis and Flint pay just above Spartanburg and Kenosha and Utica-Rome just below. All four are within $370 a year of the median in Spartanburg. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Spartanburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | +3.7% | 280 | jobs | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +2.4% | 280 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | +0.7% | 240 | pay | |
| Corvallis, OR | +0.4% | 50 | pay | |
| Spartanburg, SC | this area | 280 | ||
| Kenosha, WI | -0.1% | 110 | pay | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -0.3% | 170 | pay | |
| Evansville, IN | -7.1% | 280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Spartanburg, SC?
About $70,968 a year at the median, or $5,914 a month: $55,000 in pay plus about $15,968 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Spartanburg?
The median was $55,000 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,980, the 90th $74,890, and the middle half earned $47,350 to $62,110.
Is Spartanburg cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for paralegals?
No, it costs more: a median of $55,000 against $53,880 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Charleston-North Charleston at $57,030, the next down Hilton Head Island-Bluffton at $53,930.
How many paralegals work in Spartanburg?
BLS counts about 280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the South Carolina total of 7,420. 5 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, with about 300.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Spartanburg?
Yes: $850 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,000 and $54,150.
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 2026-11-13.