2026 Salary Survey
SECTION 1: DEMOGRAPHICS
Which region of the Paralegal Association of Wisconsin would you affiliate with? (please see https://www.wisconsinparalegal.org/About-Us for a Region map)
North Central
Western
South Central
Southeast
Northeast
No Region, at Large Member
Gender:
Male
Female
Non-binary
Decline to answer
Other
Age group:
18-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61+
Race/Ethnicity:
White
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino
Asian
Native American or Alaska Native
Prefer not to answer
Other
Do you identify as a person with a disability?:
Yes
No
Prefer not to answer
Do you identify as LGBTQIA+?:
Yes
No
Prefer not to answer
What pronouns do you use?:
She/Her
He/Him
They/Them
She/They
He/They
The my name only
Prefer to self-describe
Prefer not to answer
Other
SECTION 2: EMPLOYMENT STATUS & EXPERIENCE
What is your current employment status?
Full-Time (35+ hours per week)
Part-Time (less than 35 hours per week)
Temporary/Intern
Self-employed/Freelance
Unemployed, seeking employment
Retired
Other
Type of employer:
Private practice law firm (for profit)
Corporation/Business (in house)
Insurance company
Government agency
Freelance/Independent contractor
Non-profit/Public interest law firm
Other
How did you hear about your current position?
Online job boards & career sites
Employee referrals
Recruiters & staffing agencies
LinkedIn & social media marketing
Skills-based hiring
AI-assisted recruiting
Internal promotions & "quiet hiring"
Networking & professional associations
Internship & campus recruiting
Real-time assessments & trial projects
Other
How many years have you been employed as a paralegal?
Less than 2 years
2-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-25 years
More than 25 years
How many years of legal-related work experience do you have (including non-paralegal roles)?
Less than 2 years
2-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-25 years
More than 25 years
Have you taken a career break (sabbatical, parental leave, medical leave) in the last 5 years that affected your seniority or compensation?
Yes
No
What is your professional title?
Paralegal
Legal Assistant
Legal Secretary
Legal Analyst
Hybrid (two or more titles)
Paralegal Student/Intern
Legal Clerk
File Clerk/Runner/Receptionist
Bookkeeper
Law Student/Intern
Paralegal Manager/Supervisor
Legal Specialist
Senior Paralegal
Litigation Specialist
Other
Are you considered an hourly/non-exempt, salary/exempt, or independent contractor/freelance employee?
Hourly/Non-exempt
Salary/Exempt
Independent Contractor/Freelance
SECTION 3: WORKPLACE STRUCTURE
How many attorneys are employed at your company/firm?
1-5
6-10
11-20
21-30
31-50
51-100
101-250
251-500
501+
How many attorneys do you routinely work for?
0-1
2-3
4-6
7-10
11-20
21+
How many paralegals work at your company/firm?
0-1
2-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101+
At your company, did the number of paralegal positions increase, decrease, or stay the same in 2025?
Increased
Decreased
Stayed the same
Unknown
What is your current work setup?
Fully onsite (5 days/week in office)
Hybrid (2-4 days/week in office)
Hybrid (1 day/week in office)
Fully remote
Other
If hybrid or remote, how many days per week are you required to be in-office?
0 days
1 day
2 days
3 days
4 days
5 days
N/A - fully onsite
What are your office accommodations when working onsite?
Private office
Shared office
Cubicle
Open workspace/hoteling
N/A - Fully remote
How are your secretarial/administrative services provided?
Personal secretary/assistant
Shared secretary/assistant
Secretarial pool
Self (no administrative support)
Other
SECTION 4: PRACTICE AREAS & RESPONSIBILITIES
In what area(s) of law do you specialize? (select all that apply)
Banking/Finance
Bankruptcy
Civil Rights
Business/Corporate
Criminal
Employee Benefits
Estates and Trusts/Probate
Family Law
Insurance
Intellectual Property
Employment Law
Litigation
Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury/Liability
Product Liability
Real Estate
Social Security
Worker's Compensation
Health Law
Securities
Commercial
Immigration
Environmental
Other
What tasks do you routinely perform? (select all that apply)
Clerical work
Database or IT management
Document review/discovery
Deadline/calendar management
Draft pleadings
Factual investigation and research
Legal research
Office management
Client communication
Case management
Trial preparation
E-filing
Contract drafting/review
Other
What non-billable tasks do you routinely perform? (select all that apply)
Administrative work
Clerical tasks
Client development
Secretarial duties
Supervising others
Timekeeping
Training/mentoring
Marketing/business development
Technology managemement
Other
What percentage of your time is spent on administrative tasks versus substantive legal work?
0-10% admin, 90-100% substantive
11-25% admin, 75-89% substantive
26-50% admin, 50-74% substantive
51-75% admin, 25-49% substantive
76-100% admin, 0-24% substantive
SECTION 5: TECHNOLOGY & AI UTILIZATION
Which AI tools or legal technology platforms are you proficient in? (Select all that apply)
eDiscovery platforms (Relativity, Everlaw, Logikcull, etc.)
AI contract analysis (Kira, LawGeex, eBrevia, etc.)
Document automation (HotDocs, Contract Express, etc.)
Legal research AI (Westlaw AI, Lexis+AI, CoCounsel, etc.)
Practice management software (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, etc.)
Case management systems
AI transcription tools (Otter.ai, etc.)
Generative AI (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
None
Other
Has your compensation increased due to managing or implementing new AI/technological tools?
Yes, significant increase (5%+)
Yes, modest increase (1-4%)
No change in compensation
Not applicable - I don't manage tech tools
Unknown
What percentage of your routine tasks have been automated or AI-assisted in the past 2 years?
0% (no automation)
1-25%
26-50%
51-75%
76-100%
Has AI/automation resulted in increased workload expectations?
Yes, significantly
Yes, somewhat
No change
No, workload has decreased
Not applicable
Do you feel your job security is threatened by AI/legal technology?
Yes, very concerned
Somewhat concerned
Not concerned
Uncertain
Does your employer provide training on new AI/legal tech tools?
Yes, regularly
Yes, occasionally
No
Not applicable
SECTION 6: EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
What is the highest level of your formal education? (Select all that apply)
High school diploma/GED
Some college (no degree)
Certificate (from a paralegal program)
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Law degree (JD)
Other
Was the paralegal program you attended ABA approved?
Yes
No
Unknown
N/A - Did not attend a paralegal program
Do you hold any professional certifications? (Select all that apply)
State Bar of Wisconsin Certified Paralegal (SBWCP)
NFPA Registered Paralegal (RP)
NFPA Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP)
NALA Certified Paralegal (CP)
NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP)
AACP Certified Paralegal
Certified E-Discovery Specialist (ACEDS)
CP - NALA's Certified Paralegal
None
Other
Did obtaining certification(s) result in a salary increase?
Yes
No
Unknown/Not applicable
What is your current student loan debt related to your paralegal/legal education?
$0
$1-$10,000
$10,001-$25,000
$25,001-$50,000
$50,001-$75,000
Over $75,000
Prefer not to answer
SECTION 7: COMPENSATION & SALARY
Did you enter the paralegal profession in the past 12 months?
Yes
No
If you entered the profession in the past 12 months as a full-time paralegal with no prior legal experience, what was your annual gross starting salary? (Round to nearest thousand, exclude overtime and bonuses)
Under $30,000
$30,001-$40,000
$40,001-$50,000
$50,001-$60,000
$60,001-$70,000
$70,001-$80,000
$80,001-$90,000
$90,001-$100,000
$100,001-$120,000
$120,001-$140,000
Over $140,000
N/A
If you have been in the profession longer than 12 months, what was your annual gross salary in 2025? (Round to nearest thousand, exclude overtime and bonuses)
Under $30,000
$30,001 - $40,000
$40,001 - $50,000
$50,001 - $60,000
$60,001 - $70,000
$70,001-$80,000
$80,001-$90,000
$90,001-$100,000
$100,001-$120,000
$120,001-$140,000
$140,001-$160,000
$160,001-$180,000
$180,001-$200,000
Over $200,000
What is your current hourly rate (if applicable)?
Under $15/hour
$15-$20/hour
$21-$25/hour
$26-$30/hour
$31-$35/hour
$36-$40/hour
$41-$45/hour
$46-$50/hour
$51-$60/hour
$61-$70/hour
$71-$80/hour
Over $80/hour
N/A - Salaried
How often do you receive a salary increase?
Annually
Every 2 years
No set schedule
Based on performance reviews
Step increases (tenure-based)
No increases
Other
Did you receive a salary increase in 2025?
Yes
No
What was the percentage of your last salary increase?
No increase
1% or less
1.01-2%
2.01-3%
3.01-4%
4.01-5%
Over 5%
Did you receive both a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) AND a merit increase in 2025?
Yes, both COLA and merit
COLA only
Merit only
Neither
Unknown
What is/are your salary increases based on? (Select all that apply)
Merit/performance
Tenure/years of service
Cost of living adjustment
Specific formula (profitability, case resolution, etc.)
Billable hours target
Market adjustment
Unknown
Other
If you changed jobs in the last 12 months, what percentage salary increase did you receive?
N/A - Did not change jobs
0% (lateral move)
1-5%
6-10%
11-15%
16-20%
Over 20%
Decrease in salary
SECTION 8: BONUSES & PERFORMANCE
Did you receive a bonus in 2025?
Yes
No
What was your bonus amount as a percentage of your total annual compensation in 2025?
Did not receive a bonus
Less than 1%
1-3%
3.01-5%
5.01-10%
Over 10%
What is/was your bonus based on? (select all that apply)
Merit/performance
Holiday bonus
Billable hours target
Firm profitability
Supervisor/attorney discretion
Unknown
Other
SECTION 9: BILLABLE HOURS
If you are required to bill your time, what is your minimum annual billable hour target?
I do not bill my time
Under 1,000 hours
1,000-1,200 hours
1,201-1,400 hours
1,401-1,600 hours
1,601-1,800 hours
Over 1,800 hours
If you are required to bill your time, what is the average number of hours you bill per week?
I do not bill my time
Under 20 hours
20-25 hours
26-30 hours
31-35 hours
36-40 hours
41 or more hours
If you are required to bill your time, what is your hourly billing rate?
I do not bill time
Under $50/hour
$50-$100/hour
$101-$150/hour
$151-$200/hour
$201-$300/hour
Over $300/hour
Regarding overtime, do you receive overtime pay or compensatory time off for overtime worked?
I receive overtime pay for hours in excess of scheduled work week
I receive compensatory time off
I can choose overtime pay or compensatory time off
I do not receive overtime pay or compensatory time off
N/A
SECTION 10: BENEFITS & PERKS
If your employer provides health insurance benefits:
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides dental insurance benefits:
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides life insurance benefits:
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides short-term disability insurance:
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides long-term disability insurance:
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides paid time off (PTO - sick/vacation):
Employer pays
Not offered
If you receive PTO, how many weeks do you receive annually? (Round to whole week)
Less than 1 week
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
5 weeks
More than 5 weeks
Does your employer offer mental health days separate from PTO?
Yes
No
Unknown
Does your employer provide access to mental health resources (EAP, counseling, wellness apps)?
Yes
No
Unknown
If your employer provides maternity/paternity leave (not disability or PTO):
Employer fully pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays (unpaid leave)
Not offered
Does your employer allow unpaid time off for FMLA-qualifying reasons (illness, family care)?
Yes
No
Don't know
N/A - Employer has fewer than 50 employees
If your employer provides a 401(k) plan:
Employer fully funds (with match)
Employer partially funds
Employee funded only
Not offered
If your employer provides a pension plan:
Employer fully funds
Employer partially funds
Not offered
Does your employer offer a profit sharing plan?
Yes
No
Does your employer offer a stock purchase plan?
Yes
No
Does your employer offer student loan repayment assistance?
Yes
No
Unknown
Does your employer provide financial planning/wellness resources?
Yes
No
Unknown
If your employer provides payment for professional membership/association dues:
Employer pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides payment for regular membership meeting fees:
Employer pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
If your employer provides payment for seminar/tuition reimbursement:
Employer pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered
Are you required to pay for your own CLEs/continuing education?
Yes, I pay out of pocket
No, employer pays
Employer pays up to a cap
N/A - CLEs not required
If you pay for CLEs, how much do you spend annually?
$0
$1-$250
$251-$500
$501-$1,000
Over $1,000
N/A
If your employer provides employee parking benefits:
Employer pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered/N/A
If your employer provides childcare services:
Employer pays
Employer partially pays
Employee pays
Not offered/N/A
If your employer provides child care services, does your employer pay for the benefit, partially pay for the benefit or is the benefit not offered?
Employer paid
Employer partially paid
Not offered
Does your employer offer an expense reimbursement account?
Yes
No
Does your employer offer a tax-deferred health expense account?
Yes
No
Does your employer offer a tax-deferred dependent care account?
Yes
No
SECTION 11: FLEXIBLE WORK & TOTALREWARDS
Does your firm offer a stipend for home office equipment (desk, chair, monitor, etc.)?
Yes, one-time stipend
Yes, annual stipend
No
N/A - Fully on-site
Does your firm offer a stipend for high-speed internet or utilities?
Yes, monthly stipend
Yes, one-time stipend
No
N/A - Fully on-site
Do you have access to the same technology/resources when working remotely as you do in-office?
Yes, fully equivalent
Mostly, with minor limitations
No, significant limitations
N/A - Fully on-site
Does your employer offer any other benefits or incentives in which you are able to participate? (select all that apply)
Car allowance/mileage reimbursement
Cell phone/mobile data reimbursement
Dry cleaning service
Flexible schedules
Gym membership/wellness stipend
Office lunch program
Free snacks and beverages
Subscriptions for professional periodicals
Sabbatical opportunities
Other
Would you consider leaving your job if forced to return to the office full-time?
Yes, definitely
Possibly
No
N/A - Already full-time on-site
SECTION 12: JOB SATISFACTION & WORKPLACE CULTURE
Do you feel you are compensated fairly for your position and responsibilities? (Compensation includes wages and benefits/perks)
Yes
No
Would you rather:
Receive a smaller wage with many benefits/perks
Receive a larger wage with little to no benefits
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not important and 5 being very important, how would you rate the importance of working for an employer who offers benefits/perks in addition to wages?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not important and 5 being very important, how would you rate the importance of having a flexible working environment? (Flexible start/stop times, remote work, reduced hours, leaves, sabbaticals)
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not important and 5 being very important, how would you rate the importance of having growth opportunities within your company?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not satisfied and 5 being extremely satisfied, how would you rate your overall job satisfaction?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your current work-life balance?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
Have you experienced burnout in the past 12 months?
Yes, severe
Yes, moderate
Somewhat
No
Do you feel supported and appreciated by your managers/company for the contributions you make?
Yes
No
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not likely and 5 being very likely, how likely are you to recommend your company to others as a place to work?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
SECTION 13: DIVERSITY, EQUITY &INCLUSION
Does your employer have a formal DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) program or committee?
Yes
No
Unknown
On a scale of 1-5, do you feel your workplace is inclusive and diverse?
Not important
1
2
3
4
Very important
5
1 is Not important, 5 is Very important
Does your employer disclose salary ranges in job postings?
Yes
No
Unknown
Are you aware of the salary range for your position at your company?
Yes
No
Do you believe there is pay equity across gender/race at your organization?
Yes
No
Unknown
Has your employer conducted a pay equity audit in the past 2 years?
Yes
No
Unknown
SECTION 14: JOB SEARCH & CAREER MOBILITY
How did you hear about your current position? (select all that apply)
Newspaper/newsletter/magazine
Internal promotion
Professional placement service/recruiter
Internet (job websites and social media)
Referral
Internship
Networking event
Other
In the past 12 months, have you looked for a new job within the paralegal profession?
Yes, actively searching
Yes, casually looking
No
Are you actively looking for a new role currently?
Yes
No
Not currently, but open to opportunities
If you have looked or are planning to look for a new job, why are you leaving your current position? (Select all that apply)
Changing specialties
Contributions not recognized/appreciated
Loss of job security
Low pay/compensation
Not challenged by work
Career change outside paralegal profession
Relocation
Unhappy with employer/management
Lack of advancement opportunities
Burnout/work-life balance
Lack of remote/flexible work options
Retirement
Not planning to look for a new job
Other
Do you plan to remain in the paralegal profession for the next 5+ years?
Yes, definitely
Probably
Uncertain
Probably not
No, planning career change
Have you considered transitioning to law school or another legal role (e.g., legal operations, compliance)?
Yes, actively pursuing
Yes, considering
No
SECTION 15: PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
To which professional organizations do you belong? (select all that apply)
American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)
American Association of Justice
ABA - American Bar Association
Association of Legal Administrators
Association of Litigation Support Professionals (ALSP)
International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA)
Local or legal organization
NALA - the association of legal assistants/paralegals
NALS - the association for legal professionals
NFPA - National Federation of Paralegal Associations
Organization of Legal Professionals (OLP)
State Bar Association
None
Other
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