The annual salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa is shown in Table 1. The wage statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines is based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $44,940 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $49,310 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $58,380 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $66,610 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $82,360 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $82,360. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $58,380. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent earners is $44,940.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of paralegals and legal assistants from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $58,380 | -0.31% | 16.12% |
| 2021 | $58,560 | 3.86% | - |
| 2020 | $56,300 | 0.05% | - |
| 2019 | $56,270 | 5.10% | - |
| 2018 | $53,400 | -4.55% | - |
| 2017 | $55,830 | 2.53% | - |
| 2016 | $54,420 | 6.08% | - |
| 2015 | $51,110 | -1.00% | - |
| 2014 | $51,620 | 2.01% | - |
| 2013 | $50,580 | 3.18% | - |
| 2012 | $48,970 | - | - |
From Table 3 we note that with a median annual salary of $58,380, Des Moines-West Des Moines is the second highest paying city for paralegals and legal assistants in state of Iowa, following the highest paying city Cedar Rapids (median annual salary of $60,170). Compared with Cedar Rapids, the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines is 3.0 percent (3.0%) lower.
| Cities/Areas | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | |
| Ames | |
| Iowa City | |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | |
| Dubuque | |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area |