Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$91,801
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.8%
- Live roles
- 558
Paralegal
$82,138
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 42.7%
- Live roles
- 548
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Local Marketing Manager (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)
Campaign Manager (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)
Fractional Growth Product Manager (Part-Time 1099 Contract)
Engineering Manager (fixed term contract)
Contract Lifecycle Manager
Contract Proposal Manager- Department of Defense
Contract Manufacturing Manager
Contract Manager
Contract Technical Sourcing Specialist
Highest-paying jobs
Paralegal
Certified Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Corporate Paralegal
Assistant General Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs - Ad Tech & Media Transactions
Corporate Paralegal
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Remote
|
$79,425 | 6 |
Handshake
|
$83,200 | 5 |
Esri
|
$126,880 | 4 |
Patreon
|
$186,292 | 3 |
Mindgrub
|
$166,400 | 3 |
Blue State
|
$156,000 | 3 |
VML
|
$60,320 | 3 |
VML Enterprise Solutions
|
$60,320 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
| WE Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals | $75,000 | 15 |
Mandarich Law Group, LLP
|
$52,000 | 11 |
| BJ Brandon J. Broderick | $80,000 | 9 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$91,380 | 8 |
Build My Great Team
|
$67,650 | 8 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$95,000 | 7 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $99,000 | 13 |
| Boston | $95,410 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $95,000 | 16 |
| Toronto | $88,021 | 8 |
| New York | $87,500 | 37 |
| Seattle | $87,500 | 13 |
| Chicago | $75,000 | 11 |
| Denver | $72,977 | 7 |
| Austin | $66,580 | 3 |
Contract Manager vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $91,801 per year (typically $76,470–$148,125), versus $82,138 for Paralegal ($66,580–$105,000). That puts Contract Manager about 12% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Contract Manager and Paralegal are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.