Paralegal salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC
Hiring a paralegal costs less in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake than in Virginia or the country as a whole. The median is $59,790 a year1: 6.6% below the Virginia statewide median of $63,990 and 4.9% below the US median of $62,890. Among US areas it comes in at #166 of 506. About 1,670 paralegals work here.
BLS occupation 23-2011, area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | $47,460 | $59,790 | $77,720 | |
| Virginia | $47,860 | $63,990 | $100,550 | |
| United States | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 |
The middle half of paralegals in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake earns $49,670–$64,080. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $77,720, only 1.6 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 $14,410 wide, against $25,540 across Virginia and $29,740 nationally: employers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake 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 | $47,460 | $3,955 | $22.82 | $61,239 |
| 25th percentile | $49,670 | $4,139 | $23.88 | $64,090 |
| Median | $59,790 | $4,982 | $28.75 | $77,148 |
| 75th percentile | $64,080 | $5,340 | $30.81 | $82,684 |
| 90th percentile | $77,720 | $6,477 | $37.37 | $100,284 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $4,290 over it, while the 25th sits $10,120 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,535 more a year with benefits. 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, and the Virginia statewide median of $63,990 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
At the $59,790 median, a local hire costs about $77,148 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,358 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
Of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between office managers ($63,970) and sales development representatives ($56,270). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,920.
| Role | Median | vs paralegal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +13.1% | 1,140 | |
| Office Manager | +7.0% | 6,850 | |
| Paralegal | this role | 1,670 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -5.9% | 5,810 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -11.0% | 660 |
Measured against the US median, paralegals rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake (-4.9%), between medical administrative assistants (-4.0%) and accountants (-5.1%). The typical role here is at -6.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Paralegals hold 2.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, 2.4% across Virginia and 2.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $46,670 in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area to $62,940 in Richmond, a gap of $16,270 a year. The one area in Virginia with more paralegals, Richmond, VA ($62,940), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | +5.3% | 1,930 | |
| Roanoke, VA | +0.5% | 390 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 1,670 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -0.0% | 50 | |
| Charlottesville, VA | -0.1% | 190 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -1.9% | 80 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | -2.5% | 70 |
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake is #48 of 503 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Virginia, Charlotte-Concord and Pueblo pay just above Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Amarillo and Rockford just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake. Of the three markets with about as many paralegals, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | +7.6% | 1,700 | jobs | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +0.3% | 1,600 | jobs | |
| Pueblo, CO | +0.2% | 70 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +0.1% | 4,140 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 1,670 | ||
| Amarillo, TX | -0.1% | 190 | pay | |
| Rockford, IL | -0.2% | 200 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -3.7% | 1,650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a paralegal in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC?
About $77,148 a year at the median, or $6,429 a month: $59,790 in pay plus about $17,358 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for paralegals in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
The median was $59,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,460, the 90th $77,720, and the middle half earned $49,670 to $64,080.
Is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake cheaper than the rest of Virginia for paralegals?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,790 against $63,990 statewide. The next area up in Virginia is Roanoke at $60,060, the next down the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area at $59,780.
How many paralegals work in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
BLS counts about 1,670 in the May 2025 survey. Only Richmond has more in Virginia.
Does a paralegal cost more than a sales development representative in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
Yes: $3,520 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,790 and $56,270.
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.