The annual salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, South Carolina is shown in Table 1. The wage data of paralegals and legal assistants in Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville 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 | $37,300 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $38,360 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $48,960 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $57,950 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $68,370 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, South Carolina in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $68,370. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $48,960. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent earners is $37,300.
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 | $48,960 | 17.67% | 10.50% |
| 2021 | $40,310 | -19.40% | - |
| 2020 | $48,130 | -1.04% | - |
| 2019 | $48,630 | 7.61% | - |
| 2018 | $44,930 | -1.49% | - |
| 2017 | $45,600 | 4.82% | - |
| 2016 | $43,400 | 2.03% | - |
| 2015 | $42,520 | -0.40% | - |
| 2014 | $42,690 | -3.30% | - |
| 2013 | $44,100 | 0.63% | - |
| 2012 | $43,820 | - | - |
From Table 3 we note that the median annual salary of $48,960 in Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville is in the middle of salary range for paralegals and legal assistants in state of South Carolina. In comparison, the annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville is 14.8 percent (14.8%) lower than that in the highest paying Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill and 29.6 percent (29.6%) higher than that in the lowest paying Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area.