PublicPay

Paralegal Specialist federal salary series 0950

Full-time federal employees in the Paralegal Specialist series earned a median of $105,829 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 3% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $91,065 and $125,381.

Median pay
$105,829
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$91,065–$125,381
25th–75th percentile
Employees
5,110
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+4.1%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Paralegal Specialist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes paralegal specialist pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (2,183 employees, median $93,994). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Justice (1,871 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($133,142) and lowest in North Carolina ($90,617), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 50% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Paralegal Specialist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Paralegal Specialist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-7 126 $57,736 $57,736–$58,600
GS-9 702 $73,157 $70,623–$80,041
GS-11 2,183 $93,994 $87,421–$102,540
GS-12 1,153 $116,030 $107,411–$122,899
GS-13 538 $133,964 $125,230–$147,365
GS-14 127 $159,466 $150,935–$172,558
SK-12 33 $175,151 $158,649–$185,133

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Paralegal Specialist pay by agency

Paralegal Specialist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Justice 1,871 $96,843 $85,643–$111,087
Social Security Administration 523 $128,221 $113,533–$150,203
Department of Homeland Security 513 $111,087 $88,682–$133,964
Small Business Administration 184 $86,599 $82,041–$91,940
Department of the Treasury 181 $93,152 $85,764–$100,042
Department of Veterans Affairs 120 $91,370 $84,638–$97,409
Department of Commerce 115 $111,087 $99,692–$122,552
Department of Labor 69 $95,314 $86,996–$112,770
Securities and Exchange Commission 54 $164,058 $152,678–$184,590
Department of Health and Human Services 50 $126,450 $114,207–$137,009
Office of Personnel Management 46 $112,657 $91,145–$133,758
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 41 $91,940 $87,466–$97,503
Department of Housing and Urban Development 40 $110,378 $103,328–$117,143
Federal Trade Commission 31 $57,736 $57,736–$70,916

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Paralegal Specialist pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Paralegal Specialist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 846 $108,238 $91,145–$125,845
Texas 217 $94,738 $86,599–$116,770
California 147 $113,185 $98,672–$140,631
Virginia 138 $109,243 $93,994–$119,485
Maryland 124 $133,142 $103,964–$150,203
Florida 92 $103,399 $86,663–$117,081
New York 80 $108,997 $96,808–$132,193
Illinois 78 $105,063 $91,832–$130,080
Georgia 69 $100,036 $86,871–$119,897
Pennsylvania 62 $106,982 $90,520–$125,595

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare paralegal specialist pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.1% from $101,674 in September 2025 to $105,829 in September 2026. Headcount went from 5,801 to 5,110 (−11.9%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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