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Paralegal salary and cost of hiring in Washington

The median paralegal in Washington earned $79,400 a year in May 2025[1], 26.3% above the US median of $62,890. That puts Washington at #2 of 51 states for this job.

$6,617median pay per month in Washington
$9,452employer cost per month with benefits
$38.17median pay per hour
9,460people in this job in Washington

BLS occupation 23-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Washington$50,470$79,400$116,750
United States$44,740$62,890$101,500
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of paralegals in Washington earns $62,670–$100,960; the top tenth earns $116,750 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Washington median that makes about $113,429 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$113,429local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Washington

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$92,900
$108,1606,310
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
$75,230
$82,27070
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
$71,310
$83,100190
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$71,140
$78,460570
Bellingham, WA
$63,950
$76,130180
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area
$63,860
$76,800190
Yakima, WA
$63,140
$76,600180
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$62,500
$78,820270
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
$61,450
$72,97080
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area
$60,720
$76,860140
Walla Walla, WA
$60,120
$72,78050
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
$59,540
$71,660610

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA pays the most ($92,900) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA the least ($59,540): $33,360 a year apart for the same job.

What a paralegal does

A paralegal supports lawyers with research, document drafting, filing and case management, under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Washington
District of Columbia
$89,750
+13.0%
Washington
$79,400
+0.0%
Colorado
$78,190
-1.5%
Massachusetts
$77,640
-2.2%

Questions

How much does a paralegal earn in Washington?

The median was $79,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $62,670 to $100,960.

What does it cost to employ a paralegal in Washington?

About $113,429 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Washington do paralegals earn the most?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with a median of $92,900 a year.

Other roles in Washington

Hire paralegals remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 23-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes232011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.