Paralegal salary in Springfield, MO
Hiring a paralegal costs less in Springfield than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $49,210 a year1: 19.9% below the Missouri statewide median of $61,410 and 21.8% below the US median of $62,890. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#388 of 506). BLS counts about 530 people in this job here, 7% of the Missouri total.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Springfield, MO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Springfield against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | $38,890 | $49,210 | $87,030 | |
| Missouri | $42,150 | $61,410 | $96,820 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
Paralegals at the 90th percentile earn $87,030, 2.2 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of paralegals in Springfield earns $46,520–$63,650. The mean ($58,710) is 19% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,130 wide, against $28,460 across Missouri and $29,740 nationally: employers in Springfield 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 | $38,890 | $3,241 | $18.70 | $50,181 |
| 25th percentile | $46,520 | $3,877 | $22.37 | $60,026 |
| Median | $49,210 | $4,101 | $23.66 | $63,497 |
| 75th percentile | $63,650 | $5,304 | $30.60 | $82,129 |
| 90th percentile | $87,030 | $7,252 | $41.84 | $112,297 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $14,440 over the median, the 25th only $2,690 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $18,632 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 Springfield, and the Missouri statewide median of $61,410 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Springfield
At the $49,210 median, a local hire costs about $63,497 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,287 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 Springfield
Of the 16 roles we track in Springfield, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($52,610) and payroll specialists ($47,980). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,060.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +9.6% | 570 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +6.9% | 1,070 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 530 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -2.5% | 280 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.9% | 1,440 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in Springfield (-21.8%), between HR assistants (-20.8%) and project coordinators (-23.7%). The typical role here is at -17.3%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost less in Springfield than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 2.6% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Springfield, 2.6% across Missouri and 2.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $41,600 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $63,880 in Kansas City, a gap of $22,280 a year. All 2 areas in Missouri with more paralegals than Springfield also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($61,970) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($63,880).
| Area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | +25.9% | 4,030 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | +1.1% | 50 | |
| Columbia, MO | +0.4% | 230 | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 530 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -2.8% | 170 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -4.3% | 120 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | -5.1% | 110 |
Springfield against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Springfield is #98 of 503 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Missouri, Albany and Grand Forks pay just above Springfield and Rocky Mount and Rome just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Springfield. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +31.4% | 520 | jobs | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | +20.5% | 530 | jobs | |
| Mobile, AL | +0.5% | 520 | jobs | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | +0.2% | 110 | pay | |
| Albany, GA | +0.0% | 140 | pay | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 530 | ||
| Rocky Mount, NC | -0.1% | 120 | pay | |
| Rome, GA | -0.1% | 90 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Springfield, MO?
About $63,497 a year at the median, or $5,291 a month: $49,210 in pay plus about $14,287 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Springfield?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,890, the 90th $87,030, and the middle half earned $46,520 to $63,650.
Is Springfield cheaper than the rest of Missouri for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,210 against $61,410 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is Columbia at $49,390, the next down Jefferson City at $47,840.
How many paralegals work in Springfield?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Missouri total of 7,130. Only St. Louis and Kansas City have more in Missouri.
Does a paralegal cost more than a payroll specialist in Springfield?
Yes: $1,230 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,210 and $47,980.
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.