The annual salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia, Missouri is shown in Table 1. The wage data of paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia 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 | $36,760 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $37,880 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $48,270 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $61,320 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $71,070 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia, Missouri in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $71,070. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $48,270. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent earners is $36,760.
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 | $48,270 | 7.52% | 30.72% |
| 2021 | $44,640 | -2.78% | - |
| 2018 | $45,880 | 11.03% | - |
| 2017 | $40,820 | 5.37% | - |
| 2016 | $38,630 | 18.04% | - |
| 2015 | $31,660 | -7.99% | - |
| 2014 | $34,190 | 9.53% | - |
| 2013 | $30,930 | -8.12% | - |
| 2012 | $33,440 | - | - |
From Table 3 we note that the median annual salary of $48,270 in Columbia is in the middle of salary range for paralegals and legal assistants in state of Missouri. In comparison, the annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia is 18.4 percent (18.4%) lower than that in the highest paying Kansas City and 46.8 percent (46.8%) higher than that in the lowest paying Cape Girardeau-Jackson.