SOC 23-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Paralegals and Legal Assistants — Iowa
Iowa · 8 metro areas compared
The median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Iowa is $54,550 per year, 13.3% below the national median of $62,890.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Iowa is $54,550 per year, 13.3% below the national median of $62,890. Pay ranges from under $37,900 at the tenth percentile to more than $83,520 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $47,820 to $66,560.
Employment stands at 2,980, or 1.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Iowa ranks 44th by median wage. Iowa City leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $66,400. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 390th of 711 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $37,900 | −39.7% |
| 25th | $47,820 | −24.0% |
| Median (50th) | $54,550 | −13.3% |
| 75th | $66,560 | +5.8% |
| 90th | $83,520 | +32.8% |
| Mean | $58,780 | −6.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa City | $66,400 | 330 | |
| 2 | Des Moines | $60,080 | 1,190 | |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids | $57,420 | 310 | |
| 4 | Davenport | $57,030 | 280 | |
| 5 | Sioux City | $56,100 | 80 | |
| 6 | Dubuque | $55,740 | 80 | |
| 7 | Ames | $53,180 | 60 | |
| 8 | Waterloo | $48,030 | 120 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Iowa run 12.2% below the national average, so the median of $54,550 goes as far as $62,130 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$54,550as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$62,130US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $54,550 a year, 13.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $37,900 to $83,520 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,980 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 44th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Iowa City, at $66,400.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in Iowa?
The median annual wage is $54,550, or $26.23 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $62,890, so pay in Iowa is 13.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Iowa earns more than $83,520 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $37,900 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Iowa City, at $66,400 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,980 jobs in this occupation in Iowa. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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