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Salary · Paralegal · Illinois

Paralegal salary in Illinois: $63,670 median.

How pay for paralegals in Illinois compares with the national figure and other states, and where in the state it is highest.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025
Annual wage range · Illinois · BLS May 2025
$63,670median in Illinois

Hourly pay in Illinois, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $22.53 · 25th $27.00 · median $30.61 · 75th $39.41 · 90th $50.28.

Quick answer

Paralegals in Illinois earned a median of $63,670 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 1% above the national median of $62,890. Illinois ranked 15 of 51 for this occupation's median pay, with about 14,130 people employed.

Illinois median
$63,670
$30.61/hr
U.S. median
$62,890
+1% in Illinois
Rank among states
15 of 51
by median pay
Employed
14,130
location quotient 0.92
Key facts

More on paralegal pay in Illinois

  • The median hourly wage for paralegals and legal assistants in Illinois was $30.61 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The middle half of paralegals and legal assistants in Illinois earned between $56,160 and $81,970 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The lowest-paid 10% of paralegals and legal assistants in Illinois earned less than $46,860 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $104,580 (BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The mean annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants in Illinois was $72,310 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Metro areas

Where in Illinois it pays most

Data Metropolitan areas in the state with at least 30 people employed in the occupation.

  1. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$70,550
  2. St. Louis, MO-IL$61,970
  3. Peoria, IL$61,220
  4. Bloomington, IL$60,160
  5. Springfield, IL$59,990
  6. Rockford, IL$59,700
  7. Decatur, IL$59,690
  8. Paducah, KY-IL$59,110
Nearby in the ranking

States with similar pay

Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.

  1. Virginia$63,990
  2. Connecticut$63,820
  3. Illinois$63,670
  4. Pennsylvania$63,370
  5. Nebraska$63,250

See all states on the national Paralegal salary page.

Keep exploring

More for Paralegals

More careers

Similar careers to explore

Method

How this page is built

BLS OEWS state and metropolitan-area estimates for May 2025, for the occupation shown. Ranks compare state medians only.

What this page can't tell you
  • Cost of living, which changes what a salary is worth.
  • Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
Sources
  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

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