Side-by-side distribution
Lawyer
$167,869
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44.5%
- Live roles
- 2,460
Paralegal
$83,496
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.5%
- Live roles
- 1,262
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Legal Counsel
Property Coverage Attorney
Senior Attorney - Insurance Coverage
Associate Attorney - Insurance Coverage
Associate Attorney
Associate Attorney - Utah
Associate Attorney - Trial & Defense
Associate Attorney - Montana
Associate Attorney - Idaho
Insurance Coverage Attorney
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 |
|---|---|---|
| WE Wilson Elser - Attorneys | $182,500 | 82 |
|
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 57 |
Parnalllaw
|
$300,000 | 44 |
The United Firm | La Liga Defensora, APC
|
$100,000 | 41 |
Modern Family Law
|
$151,000 | 36 |
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $133,750 | 24 |
micro1
|
$249,600 | 22 |
|
Clyde & Co
|
$215,000 | 22 |
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 |
Lawyer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $249,600 | 22 |
| Boston | $207,500 | 25 |
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 67 |
| New York | $190,500 | 193 |
| Seattle | $190,500 | 36 |
| Atlanta | $190,500 | 54 |
| Chicago | $189,800 | 69 |
| Los Angeles | $177,500 | 86 |
| Austin | $171,500 | 39 |
| Denver | $165,000 | 25 |
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 |
Lawyer vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Lawyer is $167,869 per year (typically $123,284–$205,000), versus $83,496 for Paralegal ($66,685–$105,381). That puts Lawyer about 101% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Lawyer 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.