What is the Average Salary of a Paralegal in Iowa?

Iowa paralegals made about $44,000 per year, on average, in the spring of 2009.

Paralegals and legal assistants in Iowa made about $7,000 per year less than the national average for the occupation in May, 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and there were 1,390 people working in these positions in the state.

Salaries

Iowa's average wages for paralegals and legal assistants were $20.79 per hour or $43,240 per year in May, 2009, figures from the BLS show. Median wages were slightly lower, at $19.31 hourly or $40,160 annually. The lowest-paid 10 percent of Iowa workers in this occupation had incomes of $27,310 or less per year, while the top 10 percent earned $65,040 or more per year.

City Comparison

Des Moines-West Des Moines was Iowa's best-paying metropolitan area for paralegals and legal assistants in May, 2009, the BLS reports, with an average annual salary of $48,230. Sioux City had the lowest average wages, at $34,000 annually. Other cities with wages above $40,000 per year for paralegals included Cedar Rapids, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island and Omaha-Council Bluffs in Nebraska and Iowa.

State Ranking

Iowa ranked 33rd in the United States for average paralegal and legal assistant salaries in May, 2009. States with comparable average salaries included Alabama, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

References

• Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009:Paralegals and Legal Assistants