Paralegal Salary in Iowa: $57K Median

The average Paralegal salary in Iowa is $57,040 per year as of April 2026. Salaries range from $37,076 (entry, 25th percentile) up to $94,116 (90th percentile). State income tax applies.

Paralegals in Iowa earn approximately 8% less than the US national median ($62,000 nationally vs $57,040 in Iowa). Iowa's cost-of-living index of 90 amplifies the real purchasing power.

Yes — Paralegal salaries in Iowa grew approximately 440.0% year-over-year, from $10,563 in 2025 to $57,040 in 2026. This reflects the broader Legal sector's wage growth, driven by legal AI tools (Harvey, CoCounsel) and e-discovery demand.

Iowa has no major metros in our database — fallback to the closest tracked city for detailed breakdowns.

Paralegal roles projected to grow 1% through 2034 — slower than average as legal tech and AI automate research tasks. Specialty paralegals (IP, M&A) remain in demand. Iowa's top industries include Agriculture, Insurance, Manufacturing, and the state's unemployment rate is 3% — a tight labor market favoring candidates.

Yes, Iowa has state income tax. This affects take-home pay — at $57,040, expect 4-7% effective state tax depending on filing status. See city pages for detailed take-home calculations.

Hottest 2026 skills: legal AI tools (Harvey, CoCounsel), e-discovery, contract lifecycle management, IP/M&A specialty, compliance, litigation support. ATS systems specifically scan for these. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — improves your match rate with Iowa employers.

Market for my class year at peer firms is $X plus the standard year-end bonus. I'd like to match market on base with a clear bonus structure tied to billable hours. Beyond base, negotiate: Year-end / Cravath-scale bonus, Bar exam fees, prep courses, admission costs in additional states, CLE allowance and bar association dues, Hybrid or remote schedule (now common post-2024). Walk-away anchor for Iowa: $51,855.