Paralegal · Vermont · SOC 23-2011
Paralegal Salary in Vermont (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- Median Paralegal salary in Vermont: $63,000 nominal, $64,854 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Quartile range $49,230 (bottom 25%) to $69,810 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $47,490 to $79,440.
- Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
- Nominal: #11/51 · Real: #11/51 — ranking shifts by 0 positions after RPP.
Wage breakdown — Vermont
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $47,490 | $48,887 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $49,230 | $50,678 |
| P50 (median) | $63,000 | $64,854 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $69,810 | $71,864 |
| P90 (top tier) | $79,440 | $81,777 |
| Mean | $62,360 | $64,195 |
| Employment | 730 Paralegals in Vermont | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Vermont index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.9 |
| Services | 122.1 |
| Rents | 82.3 |
Vermont's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Vermont (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Paralegal) | $63,000 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$5,422 | 8.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,113 | 3.35–8.75% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$4,820 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $50,646 | 80.4% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $52,136 | ÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Vermont state-tax burden means for Paralegal take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.4% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $50,646 (80.4% of gross). After the 97.1 RPP, real take-home is $52,136.
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. Vermont sits at #11 on nominal pay and #11 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Paralegal make in Vermont?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $63,000 for Paralegals in Vermont as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $49,230 and the 75th-percentile is $69,810.
- What does the top of the Paralegal pay scale look like in Vermont?
- The 90th percentile lands at $79,440. 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 $69,810.
- How many Paralegals does Vermont employ?
- BLS OES counts 730 Paralegals employed in Vermont in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Where does Vermont rank for Paralegal pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Vermont ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
- How wide is the wage spread in Vermont?
- P10 to P90 spans $47,490 to $79,440. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Does paralegal certification (NALA/NFPA) raise pay in Vermont?
- BLS does not segment certified from non-certified paralegals. In Vermont, NALA Certified Paralegal (CP) or NFPA Registered Paralegal (RP) credentials typically command a 5-15% pay premium versus uncertified paralegals at comparable experience, concentrated in litigation and corporate practice. The premium is largest in major-market BigLaw firms with formal paralegal levels (paralegal I/II/III, senior paralegal, paralegal manager), where certification often gates promotion. In small Vermont firms and solo practices, certification has minimal pay impact.
- Litigation vs corporate vs IP paralegal pay in Vermont?
- BLS aggregates SOC 23-2011 (paralegals and legal assistants) without segmenting by practice area. In Vermont, intellectual-property paralegals — particularly patent paralegals with USPTO procedural fluency — typically earn well above the BLS P75 due to the credential scarcity. Corporate-transactional paralegals at major firms earn at or above median with strong overtime during deal cycles. Litigation paralegals cluster near the BLS median; family law, immigration, and personal-injury paralegals in smaller Vermont firms typically fall below median. Senior paralegal manager roles at AmLaw 100 firms exceed BLS P90.
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.
Cross-comparison: see how Vermont 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.