Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade reports the state is adding thousands of new good-paying jobs, new homes, new enterprising businesses, and opportunities around every corner. Colorado continues to enjoy a strong economy that translates into an equally strong legal services industry and paralegal profession and salaries to match. In fact, Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for offering the highest average paralegal salary, behind only California, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts.
Paralegal Job Market Trends in Colorado
Salaries in both its metro and non-metro areas continue to place Colorado among the top-paying states for paralegals. As of May 2023, paralegals in Colorado earned an average salary of $72,220, or $34.72 an hour, which is about $6,000 more than the national average for this profession. In addition to a fifth-place national ranking, Denver offers the eighth-best average paralegal salary of all metro areas in the nation at $76,740 annually ($36.90 hourly).
For those with significant experience and a legal specialization on their resume, salaries here can go much higher. Colorado paralegals in the top 10% earn about $101,830, or $48.96 per hour.
Colorado’s paralegal workforce totaled about 5,400 as of 2023. They lend their talents to the law departments of big corporate players in the leisure and hospitality, natural resources and mining, construction, manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, and aerospace industries; in nonprofit organizations like Hunger Free Colorado or the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital; and in law firms specializing in everything from litigation to bankruptcy to estate law.
Average Paralegal Salary in Colorado by City
Denver’s experienced paralegals earned by far the highest salary in the state, with a top 10% rate that starts at $107,680. The city offers a variety of options for experienced legal professionals in corporate law since the regional economy has four super sectors that rely on in-house legal staff. They range from finance and natural resources/construction to education/health services and leisure/hospitality. Such a variety of industries increase the likelihood that paralegals will be able to practice in their specialty.
Denver:
- Average – $76,740 ($36.90 hourly)
- Top 10% – $107,680 ($51.77 hourly)
Fort Collins:
- Average – $66,310 ($31.88 hourly)
- Top 10% – $84,280 ($40.52 hourly)
Greeley:
- Average – $64,690 ($31.10 hourly)
- Top 10% – $83,960 ($40.37 hourly)
Boulder:
- Average – $62,930 ($30.26 hourly)
- Top 10% – $92,520 ($44.48 hourly)
Colorado Springs:
- Average – $59,480 ($28.60 hourly)
- Top 10% – $77,340 ($37.18 hourly)
Grand Junction:
- Average – $54,980 ($26.43 hourly)
- Top 10% – $67,080 ($32.25 hourly)
Pueblo:
- Average – $49,630 ($23.86 hourly)
- Top 10% – $68,180 ($32.78 hourly)
May 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary, growth, and job market trends for paralegals and legal assistants. Figures represent state data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2025.