Side-by-side distribution
Contract Manager
$94,800
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 23.8%
- Live roles
- 1,557
Paralegal
$83,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.4%
- Live roles
- 1,263
Highest-paying jobs
Contracts Administrator
Store Manager (6-month contract)
Fractional Growth Product Manager (Part-Time 1099 Contract)
Risk & Independence Contract Specialist Senior Manager - Advisory Consulting Services
Risk & Independence Contract Specialist Senior Manager - Managed Services
Principal Product Manager, Search & Contract Understanding
Senior / Principal Product Manager, Contract Orchestration
Contract Manager
CV Invasive Specialist Contract 40hrs
Government Contracts Administrator (Contract)
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel – Market Access Legal
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Litigation Paralegal - Detroit
Litigation Paralegal - California
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal
Litigation Paralegal - Chicago
Litigation Paralegal - Pennsylvania
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$115,050 | 18 |
Loblaw
|
$80,750 | 16 |
Protiviti
|
$72,652 | 15 |
CVS Health
|
$103,080 | 9 |
Remote
|
$59,804 | 7 |
Esri
|
$92,716 | 6 |
Great American Insurance Group
|
$197,500 | 5 |
Astreya
|
$77,126 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CACI
|
$60,008 | 47 |
Amentum
|
$53,206 | 32 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$77,500 | 24 |
| DP DLA Piper | $114,587 | 20 |
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$120,000 | 13 |
Ballard Spahr
|
$97,500 | 13 |
Contract Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $174,000 | 8 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 14 |
| Seattle | $169,325 | 8 |
| New York | $160,000 | 25 |
| Los Angeles | $150,800 | 7 |
| Austin | $149,125 | 4 |
| Chicago | $118,029 | 10 |
| Atlanta | $117,307 | 6 |
| Denver | $104,000 | 5 |
| Dublin | $101,761 | 3 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $111,301 | 7 |
| San Francisco | $109,375 | 34 |
| Boston | $107,188 | 24 |
| Atlanta | $100,000 | 12 |
| New York | $97,975 | 83 |
| Chicago | $97,500 | 33 |
| Los Angeles | $94,300 | 50 |
| Seattle | $87,520 | 30 |
| Denver | $72,500 | 9 |
| Toronto | $72,222 | 8 |
Contract Manager vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Contract Manager is $94,800 per year (typically $68,923–$125,418), versus $83,500 for Paralegal ($66,580–$105,425). That puts Contract Manager about 14% 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.