The annual salary statistics of paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia, South Carolina 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 | $37,460 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $45,760 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $52,390 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $63,750 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $67,440 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia, South Carolina in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $67,440. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $52,390. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent earners is $37,460.
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 | $52,390 | 13.08% | 23.80% |
| 2021 | $45,540 | 3.69% | - |
| 2020 | $43,860 | -2.10% | - |
| 2019 | $44,780 | 1.21% | - |
| 2018 | $44,240 | 4.61% | - |
| 2017 | $42,200 | -0.59% | - |
| 2016 | $42,450 | 0.57% | - |
| 2015 | $42,210 | 1.11% | - |
| 2014 | $41,740 | 7.09% | - |
| 2013 | $38,780 | -2.94% | - |
| 2012 | $39,920 | - | - |
From Table 3 we note that with a median annual salary of $52,390, Columbia is the second highest paying city for paralegals and legal assistants in state of South Carolina, following the highest paying city Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill (median annual salary of $57,480). Compared with Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, the median annual salary of paralegals and legal assistants in Columbia is 8.9 percent (8.9%) lower.