Paralegal salary in California
BLS reports this occupation as "Paralegals and Legal Assistants" (23-2011); every figure on this page is for that BLS occupation.
The median annual wage for paralegals in California is $77,390, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates — above the national median of $62,890. California ranks 5 of 50 states and DC with published data for this occupation.
Median
$77,390
25th percentile
$60,170
75th percentile
$98,430
90th percentile
$119,580
Employment and national comparison
| Employment in California | 47,130 |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage in California | $81,320 |
| National median | $62,890 |
| National employment | 392,880 |
Metro areas in California
- San Francisco, CA: median $84,030
- Los Angeles, CA: median $77,520
- San Diego, CA: median $76,300
States with similar pay for paralegals
- Massachusetts: median $77,640
- Colorado: median $78,190
- Minnesota: median $75,570
- Washington: median $79,400
- New Jersey: median $71,500
- Alaska: median $68,700
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates; state, metropolitan area and national files from https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. State estimates are for BLS occupation "Paralegals and Legal Assistants" (23-2011), cross-industry, all ownerships. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Where BLS does not publish a numeric estimate (suppressed, or reported only as at or above $239,200) the value is shown as —.