The average annual salaries for paralegals and legal assistants in the state of North Carolina are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants among North Carolina metropolitan areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are 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 | $35,920 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $41,180 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $51,340 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $62,650 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $81,310 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in North Carolina in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $81,310. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $51,340. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $35,920.
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 | $51,340 | 8.47% | 24.09% |
| 2021 | $46,990 | 0.15% | - |
| 2020 | $46,920 | 4.03% | - |
| 2019 | $45,030 | 3.33% | - |
| 2018 | $43,530 | 1.22% | - |
| 2017 | $43,000 | 1.09% | - |
| 2016 | $42,530 | 5.17% | - |
| 2015 | $40,330 | -1.04% | - |
| 2014 | $40,750 | 3.29% | - |
| 2013 | $39,410 | 1.12% | - |
| 2012 | $38,970 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in some North Carolina cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in state of North Carolina ranges from $37,980 to $57,400. The highest paying area for paralegals and legal assistants in North Carolina is Asheville with a median annual salary of $57,400. The second highest paying city/area in North Carolina State is Raleigh-Cary (mean annual salary $56,670). The lowest paying area is Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $37,980.