Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$98,868
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.7%
- Live roles
- 1,591
Paralegal
$85,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.4%
- Live roles
- 1,235
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Principal Product Manager, Search & Contract Understanding
Risk & Independence Contract Specialist Senior Manager - Advisory Consulting Services
Risk & Independence Contract Specialist Senior Manager - Managed Services
Contract QA/QC Program Implementation Manager
Contract Lifecycle Management Lead, Sr. Manager
Senior / Principal Product Manager, Contract Orchestration
Director, Contract Lifecycle Management Product Manager
Warehouse Specialist Contract Assignment - 40 hrs./wk. - Days - $22/hr.
CV Invasive Specialist Contract $68/hr
Highest-paying jobs
Litigation Paralegal - D.C
Litigation Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal - Detroit
Litigation Paralegal - Pennsylvania
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Corporate Paralegal
Litigation Paralegal - California
Litigation Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$117,700 | 19 |
Protiviti
|
$75,000 | 16 |
Loblaw
|
$71,250 | 12 |
| GV GE Vernova | $159,500 | 10 |
CVS Health
|
$96,450 | 9 |
Intel
|
$126,000 | 8 |
|
PwC
|
$183,750 | 6 |
CACI
|
$124,600 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
CACI
|
$60,902 | 41 |
|
Amentum
|
$62,483 | 39 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$77,500 | 23 |
| DP DLA Piper | $114,587 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 19 |
HireHawk
|
$21,000 | 16 |
Modern Family Law
|
$72,915 | 15 |
| WE Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals | $75,000 | 14 |
Contract Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $204,125 | 4 |
| Boston | $182,000 | 10 |
| Atlanta | $170,000 | 11 |
| New York | $165,500 | 21 |
| Seattle | $151,552 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $140,000 | 5 |
| Chicago | $138,084 | 14 |
| San Francisco | $136,760 | 20 |
| Denver | $134,500 | 12 |
| Toronto | $111,050 | 31 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $119,514 | 8 |
| San Francisco | $114,454 | 34 |
| Boston | $109,375 | 21 |
| New York | $102,673 | 82 |
| Los Angeles | $97,500 | 41 |
| Austin | $92,966 | 5 |
| Seattle | $91,426 | 23 |
| Chicago | $91,250 | 40 |
| Toronto | $78,500 | 3 |
| Denver | $69,680 | 11 |
Contract Manager vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $98,868 per year (typically $76,038–$130,075), versus $85,000 for Paralegal ($64,548–$109,375). That puts Contract Manager about 16% 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.