Paralegal salary in Stockton-Lodi, CA
Stockton-Lodi pays paralegals less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $70,520 a year1: 8.9% below the California statewide median of $77,390 and 12.1% above the US median of $62,890. Only 30 of 506 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 290 paralegals here: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Stockton-Lodi, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Stockton-Lodi against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $48,990 | $70,520 | $97,330 | |
| California | $50,460 | $77,390 | $119,580 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Stockton-Lodi earns $60,550–$88,790. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $97,330, only 2.0 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 $28,240 wide, against $38,260 across California and $29,740 nationally: employers in Stockton-Lodi 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 | $48,990 | $4,082 | $23.55 | $63,213 |
| 25th percentile | $60,550 | $5,046 | $29.11 | $78,129 |
| Median | $70,520 | $5,877 | $33.90 | $90,994 |
| 75th percentile | $88,790 | $7,399 | $42.69 | $114,568 |
| 90th percentile | $97,330 | $8,111 | $46.79 | $125,587 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,270 over the median, the 25th only $9,970 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $23,574 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 25th percentile and the median in Stockton-Lodi, and the California statewide median of $77,390 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Stockton-Lodi
At the $70,520 median, a local hire costs about $90,994 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,474 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 Stockton-Lodi
Of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($73,650) and sales development representatives ($66,910). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,240.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +5.1% | 2,190 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +4.4% | 730 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 290 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -5.1% | 1,240 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -13.2% | 340 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi (+12.1%), between virtual receptionists (+12.4%) and customer support specialists (+11.7%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so, measured against the US, paralegals cost more in Stockton-Lodi than the area's general pay level would suggest. Paralegals hold 1.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Stockton-Lodi, 2.8% across California and 2.5% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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 11 areas in California with more paralegals than Stockton-Lodi, 4 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($61,460), Fresno, CA ($62,450) and Modesto, CA ($58,820).
| Area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +8.2% | 4,440 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +6.6% | 280 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +6.0% | 520 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 290 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -1.3% | 50 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -8.3% | 150 | |
| Visalia, CA | -8.7% | 120 |
Stockton-Lodi against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Stockton-Lodi is #160 of 503 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Chicago-Naperville and Worcester pay just above Stockton-Lodi and Philadelphia-Camden and Carson City just below. All four are within $510 a year of the median in Stockton-Lodi. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +0.9% | 300 | jobs | |
| Worcester, MA | +0.7% | 480 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.0% | 11,590 | pay | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 290 | ||
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -0.1% | 11,150 | pay | |
| Carson City, NV | -0.7% | 80 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -23.5% | 300 | jobs | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -34.4% | 290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Stockton-Lodi, CA?
About $90,994 a year at the median, or $7,583 a month: $70,520 in pay plus about $20,474 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do paralegals earn in Stockton-Lodi?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $70,520 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $48,990, the 90th $97,330, and the middle half earned $60,550 to $88,790.
Is Stockton-Lodi cheaper than the rest of California for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,520 against $77,390 statewide. The next area up in California is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $74,780, the next down Hanford-Corcoran at $69,600.
How many paralegals work in Stockton-Lodi?
BLS counts about 290 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 290.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Stockton-Lodi?
Yes: $3,610 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,520 and $66,910.
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.