How much does a Paralegal make in Delaware?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $60,000 for Paralegals in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $51,090 and the 75th-percentile is $75,430.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Paralegal salary in Delaware?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 98.8 for Delaware), the real-wage equivalent is $60,754 — what the $60,000 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $51,732 to $76,378.

What does the top of the Paralegal pay scale look like in Delaware?

The 90th percentile lands at $97,800. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $75,430.

How many Paralegals does Delaware employ?

BLS OES counts 2,220 Paralegals employed in Delaware in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Is Delaware a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Paralegals?

No — Delaware's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

What are the limits of these Paralegal salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Delaware?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Delaware.

Paralegal Salary in Delaware (2026): $60K Median, BEA RPP-Adjusted

TL;DR

Delaware pays Paralegals a BLS median of $60,000 — the more useful number is $60,754, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
Quartile range $51,090 (bottom 25%) to $75,430 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $47,490 to $97,800.
State ranks #24 nationally on nominal wage, #23 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — Delaware

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$47,490	$48,087
P25 (lower quartile)	$51,090	$51,732
P50 (median)	$60,000	$60,754
P75 (upper quartile)	$75,430	$76,378
P90 (top tier)	$97,800	$99,029
Mean	$66,460	$67,295
Employment	2,220 Paralegals in Delaware

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Delaware index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	98.8
Goods	97.3
Services	104.4
Rents	98.9

Delaware's overall RPP (98.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Delaware (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Paralegal)	$60,000	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$5,062	8.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$2,763	2.2–6.6% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,590	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$47,585	79.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$48,183	÷ (98.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Delaware state-tax burden means for Paralegal take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $47,585 (79.3% of gross). After the 98.8 RPP, real take-home is $48,183.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $61,010 for Paralegals with mean pay of $66,510 and total employment of 367,220. Delaware sits at #24 on nominal pay and #23 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Delaware climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Paralegal make in Delaware?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $60,000 for Paralegals in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $51,090 and the 75th-percentile is $75,430.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) Paralegal salary in Delaware?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 98.8 for Delaware), the real-wage equivalent is $60,754 — what the $60,000 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $51,732 to $76,378.
What does the top of the Paralegal pay scale look like in Delaware?: The 90th percentile lands at $97,800. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $75,430.
How many Paralegals does Delaware employ?: BLS OES counts 2,220 Paralegals employed in Delaware in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Is Delaware a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Paralegals?: No — Delaware's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
What are the limits of these Paralegal salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Delaware?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Delaware.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 23-2011, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Delaware Paralegal pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.