Paralegal salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
For this job St. Louis sits right at the Missouri figure, with a median of $61,970 a year1. That is about level with the Missouri statewide median of $61,410, and 1.5% below the US median of $62,890. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#102 of 506). It is the largest market for the job in Missouri: about 4,030 people.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area St. Louis, MO-IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Louis against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $45,950 | $61,970 | $97,830 | |
| Missouri | $42,150 | $61,410 | $96,820 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in St. Louis earns $47,790–$76,580. The top tenth earns $97,830 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 $28,790 wide, between the figure for Missouri ($28,460) 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 | $45,950 | $3,829 | $22.09 | $59,290 |
| 25th percentile | $47,790 | $3,982 | $22.98 | $61,665 |
| Median | $61,970 | $5,164 | $29.79 | $79,961 |
| 75th percentile | $76,580 | $6,382 | $36.82 | $98,813 |
| 90th percentile | $97,830 | $8,152 | $47.03 | $126,232 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $14,610 a year in pay and about $18,852 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,180 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 median and the 75th percentile in St. Louis, and the Missouri statewide median of $61,410 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in St. Louis
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 $17,991 to the $61,970 median and brings it to $79,961 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 St. Louis
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between executive assistants ($63,500) and sales development representatives ($60,860). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,510.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +10.7% | 9,840 | |
| Executive Assistant | +2.5% | 3,990 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 4,030 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -1.8% | 7,750 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -4.5% | 1,530 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis (-1.5%), between bookkeepers (-1.4%) and project coordinators (-1.8%). The typical role here is at -2.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 3.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Louis, 2.6% across Missouri and 2.5% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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. No other area in Missouri has as many paralegals, and 10 of the other 11 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | +3.1% | 2,900 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 4,030 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -19.7% | 50 | |
| Columbia, MO | -20.3% | 230 | |
| Springfield, MO | -20.6% | 530 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -22.8% | 170 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -24.0% | 120 |
St. Louis against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Louis is #21 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 Missouri, Manchester-Nashua and Miami-Fort Lauderdale pay just above St. Louis and Raleigh-Cary and Morgantown just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in St. Louis. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +29.9% | 3,740 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +5.9% | 3,880 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +0.2% | 17,820 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +0.1% | 500 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 4,030 | ||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -0.1% | 2,540 | pay | |
| Morgantown, WV | -0.2% | 100 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -3.4% | 4,140 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in St. Louis, MO-IL?
About $79,961 a year at the median, or $6,663 a month: $61,970 in pay plus about $17,991 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in St. Louis?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,970 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,950, the 90th $97,830, and the middle half earned $47,790 to $76,580.
Is St. Louis cheaper than the rest of Missouri for paralegals?
About the same: a median of $61,970 against $61,410 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is Kansas City at $63,880, the next down St. Joseph at $49,760.
How many paralegals work in St. Louis?
BLS counts about 4,030 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Missouri has as many.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in St. Louis?
Yes: $1,110 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,970 and $60,860.
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.