How much does a Criminal Paralegal make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Criminal Paralegal in the United States is $92,274 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, a Criminal Paralegal's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $110,412
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $82,937 to $101,768
Key Factors That Influence Criminal Paralegal Salaries
A Criminal Paralegal's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Criminal Paralegal Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Criminal Paralegal's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Criminal Paralegal Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Criminal Paralegals. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $116,385
San Francisco: $115,110
Oakland: $112,684
San Jose, CA$116,385
San Francisco, CA$115,110
Oakland, CA$112,684
New York, NY$106,243
Paramus, NJ$104,951
Queens Village, NY$104,946
Passaic, NJ$104,859
Bergenfield, NJ$104,850
Stamford, CT$104,647
Huntington, NY$104,610
Newark, NJ$103,928
Bridgeport, CT$103,733
Vallejo, CA$103,549
New Brunswick, NJ$103,512
Petaluma, CA$103,457
Middlesex, NJ$103,282
Somerset, NJ$103,217
Santa Cruz, CA$103,097
Boston, MA$102,534
Monterey, CA$102,210
Seattle, WA$101,999
Santa Rosa, CA$101,981
Los Angeles, CA$101,953
Juneau, AK$101,713
Washington, DC$101,612
Orange, CA$101,283
Santa Ana, CA$101,039
Long Beach, CA$100,947
Anaheim, CA$100,929
Anchorage, AK$100,883
Santa Maria, CA$100,606
Everett, WA$100,587
Danbury, CT$100,263
Bremerton, WA$100,135
Tacoma, WA$99,803
New Suffolk, NY$99,801
Sacramento, CA$99,775
Santa Barbara, CA$99,674
Trenton, NJ$99,572
San Diego, CA$99,572
Brockton, MA$99,471
Fairbanks, AK$99,245
Lompoc, CA$99,009
Lowell, MA$98,935
Ventura, CA$98,917
Nashua, NH$98,899
Stockton, CA$98,890
Modesto, CA$98,216
Poughkeepsie, NY$98,013
Olympia, WA$97,838
Kennewick, WA$97,838
New Haven, CT$97,801
Lawrence, MA$97,468
Hartford, CT$97,376
Riverside, CA$97,358
New Bedford, MA$97,265
Richland, WA$97,265
Bakersfield, CA$97,136
San Bernardino, CA$97,099
New Britain, CT$97,090
Atlantic City, NJ$97,090
New London, CT$97,053
Norwich, CT$97,026
Portsmouth, NH$97,007
Boulder, CO$96,812
Portland, OR$96,684
Worcester, MA$96,675
Minneapolis, MN$96,389
Philadelphia, PA$96,260
Honolulu, HI$95,955
Saint Paul, MN$95,911
Vineland, NJ$95,891
Providence, RI$95,623
Chicago, IL$95,355
Bellingham, WA$95,245
Springfield, MA$95,171
Baltimore, MD$95,143
Chico, CA$94,913
Pittsfield, MA$94,663
Manchester, NH$94,488
Spokane, WA$94,082
Denver, CO$94,073
Albany, NY$93,639
Troy, NY$93,602
Nassau, NY$93,504
Schenectady, NY$93,408
Wilmington, DE$93,335
Burlington, VT$93,205
Salem, OR$93,169
Portland, ME$92,883
Yakima, WA$92,790
Rochester, MN$92,504
Reno, NV$92,458
Fresno, CA$92,458
Milwaukee, WI$92,375
Detroit, MI$92,283
Ann Arbor, MI$92,267
Allentown, PA$92,255
Colorado Springs, CO$92,098
Syracuse, NY$92,052
Carson City, NV$92,052
Houston, TX$91,923
Eugene, OR$91,877
Gary, IN$91,766
Springfield, OR$91,692
Bismarck, ND$91,674
Galveston, TX$91,609
Medford, OR$91,471
Fort Collins, CO$91,434
Concord, NH$91,388
Austin, TX$91,360
Mesa, AZ$91,166
Reading, PA$91,157
Phoenix, AZ$91,148
Dallas, TX$91,120
Saint Cloud, MN$91,031
Madison, WI$90,908
Utica, NY$90,659
Rochester, NY$90,511
Des Moines, IA$90,502
Raleigh, NC$90,493
Atlanta, GA$90,354
Battle Creek, MI$90,327
Salt Lake City, UT$90,299
Lancaster, PA$90,160
Harrisburg, PA$90,031
Kansas City, MO$89,939
Champaign, IL$89,921
Kansas City, KS$89,921
Fort Worth, TX$89,911
Columbus, OH$89,896
Boca Raton, FL$89,874
Pittsburgh, PA$89,837
Richmond, VA$89,801
Indianapolis, IN$89,782
Cleveland, OH$89,773
Las Vegas, NV$89,662
Cincinnati, OH$89,662
Petersburg, VA$89,524
Huntsville, AL$89,385
Lansing, MI$89,324
Lebanon, PA$89,312
Pueblo, CO$89,302
Appleton, WI$89,275
Buffalo, NY$89,238
Dayton, OH$89,210
Racine, WI$89,192
Charlotte, NC$89,182
Saint Louis, MO$89,155
York, PA$89,099
Elkhart, IN$89,099
Gastonia, NC$89,082
Billings, MT$89,060
Beaumont, TX$89,035
Lorain, OH$89,016
Benton Harbor, MI$88,998
Toledo, OH$88,979
Binghamton, NY$88,933
Rock Hill, SC$88,924
Rockford, IL$88,878
Springfield, IL$88,841
Elyria, OH$88,832
Fargo, ND$88,832
Flagstaff, AZ$88,767
Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,712
Duluth, MN$88,656
Miami, FL$88,656
Cheyenne, WY$88,592
Grand Forks, ND$88,592
Bangor, ME$88,389
Cedar Rapids, IA$88,287
Durham, NC$88,249
Louisville, KY$88,241
Grand Rapids, MI$88,223
Hialeah, FL$88,213
Casper, WY$88,084
Scranton, PA$87,974
New Orleans, LA$87,946
Virginia Beach, VA$87,937
Akron, OH$87,891
Peoria, IL$87,771
Sarasota, FL$87,752
Nashville, TN$87,688
Omaha, NE$87,688
Green Bay, WI$87,688
Baton Rouge, LA$87,641
Charleston, SC$87,623
Jamestown, NY$87,577
Davenport, IA$87,577
Tucson, AZ$87,531
Saint Petersburg, FL$87,475
Tampa, FL$87,457
Evansville, IN$87,401
Port Arthur, TX$87,401
Bradenton, FL$87,365
Santa Fe, NM$87,198
Orlando, FL$87,032
Clearwater, FL$87,005
Canton, OH$86,811
La Crosse, WI$86,811
Albuquerque, NM$86,756
Newport News, VA$86,746
High Point, NC$86,719
Ogden, UT$86,682
Corpus Christi, TX$86,608
Norfolk, VA$86,553
Laramie, WY$86,553
Rock Island, IL$86,497
Saginaw, MI$86,479
Jacksonville, FL$86,469
Salisbury, NC$86,451
Boise, ID$86,433
Moline, IL$86,386
Fort Myers, FL$86,359
Memphis, TN$86,340
Tulsa, OK$86,294
Waterloo, IA$86,239
Spartanburg, SC$86,147
Lincoln, NE$86,100
Fort Wayne, IN$86,082
Provo, UT$86,073
Cedar Falls, IA$85,962
San Antonio, TX$85,925
Greensboro, NC$85,888
South Bend, IN$85,879
Savannah, GA$85,777
Muskegon, MI$85,741
Birmingham, AL$85,731
Winston Salem, NC$85,686
Lake Charles, LA$85,464
Anderson, IN$85,445
Lexington, KY$85,418
Augusta, GA$85,390
Greenville, SC$85,390
Lima, OH$85,316
Wichita, KS$85,307
Tuscaloosa, AL$85,307
Columbia, SC$85,224
Springfield, OH$85,205
Asheville, NC$85,058
Bloomington, IN$84,993
Knoxville, TN$84,661
Shreveport, LA$84,652
Wilmington, NC$84,532
Roanoke, VA$84,532
Topeka, KS$84,366
Frankfort, KY$84,356
Oklahoma City, OK$84,292
Chillicothe, OH$84,255
Longview, TX$84,246
Melbourne, FL$84,236
Sioux Falls, SD$84,089
Mobile, AL$84,080
Terre Haute, IN$84,043
Altoona, PA$83,987
Amarillo, TX$83,923
Killeen, TX$83,895
Fayetteville, AR$83,821
Chattanooga, TN$83,794
Sioux City, IA$83,711
Idaho Falls, ID$83,692
Lynchburg, VA$83,618
Gainesville, FL$83,498
Portsmouth, OH$83,452
Little Rock, AR$83,434
Lafayette, LA$83,397
Youngstown, OH$83,397
Daytona Beach, FL$83,341
Clarksville, TN$83,332
Pensacola, FL$83,323
Temple, TX$83,317
Hopkinsville, KY$83,046
Erie, PA$83,028
Florence, SC$82,991
Charleston, WV$82,843
Great Falls, MT$82,797
Macon, GA$82,668
Tallahassee, FL$82,659
Fayetteville, NC$82,640
Waco, TX$82,622
Helena, MT$82,557
Pine Bluff, AR$82,522
Vincennes, IN$82,409
Lubbock, TX$82,373
Alamogordo, NM$82,317
Twin Falls, ID$82,234
Rapid City, SD$82,206
Jackson, MS$82,040
Huntington, WV$82,034
Greenville, MS$82,031
Parkersburg, WV$81,937
Montgomery, AL$81,920
Wichita Falls, TX$81,828
Springfield, MO$81,828
Biloxi, MS$81,782
Monroe, LA$81,690
Johnstown, PA$81,625
Sumter, SC$81,588
Columbus, GA$81,579
Pascagoula, MS$81,404
Abilene, TX$81,404
Kingsport, TN$81,164
Albany, GA$81,164
Gulfport, MS$81,136
Alexandria, LA$80,832
Fort Smith, AR$80,601
El Paso, TX$80,352
Las Cruces, NM$79,937
Harlingen, TX$79,702
Pocatello, ID$79,687
Florence, AL$79,567
Brownsville, TX$79,549
Mcallen, TX$79,355
Dothan, AL$79,226
Columbus, MS$78,678
Altus, OK$78,248
Lawton, OK$78,073
Pierre, SD$77,740
What Skills Can Increase a Criminal Paralegal's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Attention to Detail (Mentioned in 3.44% Job Postings): Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.
Administrative Support (Mentioned in 2.09% Job Postings): Administrative support means technical assistance, studies, surveys, or securing volunteers to assist the department in fulfilling its administrative responsibilities.
Due Diligence (Mentioned in 1.22% Job Postings): Due diligence is the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations. A common example of due diligence in various industries is the process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets for an acquisition. The theory behind due diligence holds that performing this type of investigation contributes significantly to informed decision making by enhancing the amount and quality of information available to decision makers and by ensuring that this information is systematically used to deliberate in a reflexive manner on the decision at hand and all its costs, benefits, and risks.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Criminal Paralegal's salary.
Intellectual Property: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Criminal Paralegal Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Criminal Paralegal roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 71% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Criminal Paralegal positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Criminal Paralegal as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Criminal Paralegal
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$119,956
$58.0
30%
Energy & Utilities
$110,728
$53.0
20%
Software & Networking
$110,728
$53.0
20%
Financial Services
$106,115
$51.0
15%
Internet
$104,269
$50.0
13%
How Education impacts a Criminal Paralegal's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Criminal Paralegals enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Criminal Paralegal with a Associate's Degree is between
$88,635
and $93,757).
Criminal Paralegal Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Criminal Paralegal's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Criminal Paralegal can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $95,241 in 2023
to around $94,305 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Criminal Paralegal salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Criminal Paralegal Over Time
$???
$95,241
$95,171
$94,305
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$95,241
2024
$95,171
2025
$94,305
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Criminal Paralegal
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Criminal Paralegal
Here are companies hiring for Criminal Paralegal and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Criminal Paralegal Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Criminal Paralegal job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Criminal Paralegal
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Criminal Paralegal?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Criminal Paralegal roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
