U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Commerce / Paralegal Specialist

Job-title file

Paralegal Specialist

Provide legal advice, draft and review documents, and represent the agency in legal matters.

146 employees hold this title in Department of Commerce. Median total compensation for the role is $108,078, below the department median of $127,707.

Employees: 146
Total payroll: $16M
Role median: $108,078
Agency median: $127,707
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$58,068$146,126+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 146 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Paralegal Specialist pay vs. the United States

Across all employers in the United States, the median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants — about 392,880 people — is $62,890. Department of Commerce pays a median base salary of $107,590 for this role, 71% above that figure — above the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Commerce sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$44,740

$50,340

$62,890

$80,080

$101,500

Department of Commerce median · $107,590

The bar is the range of annual wages for Paralegals and Legal Assistants across every employer in the United States, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Commerce’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Commerce is $108,078, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

Paralegal Specialist is held in 54 U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) departments. In Department of Commerce, the median of $108,078 ranks #21 of 54.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Federal Housing Finance Agency

$176,909 · 1

Securities and Exchange Commission

$145,791 · 84

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

$143,249 · 12

Federal Reserve System

$141,092 · 20

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

$130,932 · 29

Federal Communications Commission

$128,956 · 5

Department of Treasury

$125,827 · 5

Social Security Administration

$120,246 · 702

Fed Retirement Thrift Investment Board

$119,037 · 1

Export-Import Bank of the United States

$119,037 · 1

U.S. Agency for International Development

$117,962 · 3

Department of Health and Human Services

$115,981 · 65

Median total compensation for the Paralegal Specialist role in other U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)departments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Paralegal Specialist beyond U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

This role is reported in 4 jurisdictions. In U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense), the median of $96,330 ranks #3 of 4. See Paralegal Specialist across all of U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

Connecticut

$148,330 · 8

District of Columbia

$98,412 · 99

Florida

$44,437 · 405

Median total compensation for comparable Paralegal Specialistroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Laura Peterson

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$131,456

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $131,456
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 16
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Laura Peterson works as a Paralegal Specialist for Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. Laura earned $131,456 in 2024. Their pay grade is 12.

Darryl Forte

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$129,314

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $122,343
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $6,971
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,314
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $122,343
Basic Pay (before locality): $91,808
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 36
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Darryl Forte holds the role of Paralegal Specialist at Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2024, their total compensation was $129,314. Their pay grade is 12.

Breck Reitter

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Harpers Ferry
Work county: Jefferson
Work state: West Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 541140037
Length of Service (Years): 15
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Breck Reitter works as a Paralegal Specialist for Department of Commerce based in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Breck earned $128,956 in 2024. Their pay grade is 12.

Traci Alexander

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 24
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Commerce, Traci Alexander serves as a Paralegal Specialist based in Alexandria, Virginia. Their 2024 pay totaled $128,956. They are classified at grade 12.

Natasha Brotten

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 17
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Natasha Brotten is a Paralegal Specialist at Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. 2024 total compensation came to $128,956. They are classified at grade 12.

Megan Carlson

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Odenton
Work county: Anne Arundel
Work state: Maryland

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 241160003
Length of Service (Years): 15
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Megan Carlson holds the role of Paralegal Specialist at Department of Commerce based in Odenton, Maryland. In 2024, their total compensation was $128,956. Their pay grade is 12.

Lori Eatmon

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Upper Marlboro
Work county: Prince George's
Work state: Maryland

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 241620033
Length of Service (Years): 15
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Lori Eatmon works as a Paralegal Specialist for Department of Commerce based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Lori earned $128,956 in 2024. Their pay grade is 12.

Macia Fletcher

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 39
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Macia Fletcher holds the role of Paralegal Specialist at Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2024, their total compensation was $128,956. Their pay grade is 12.

Eric Hawthorne

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Stafford
Work county: Stafford
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 512307179
Length of Service (Years): 25
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Eric Hawthorne works as a Paralegal Specialist for Department of Commerce based in Stafford, Virginia. Eric earned $128,956 in 2024. Their pay grade is 12.

Karon Seldon

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 33
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Karon Seldon works as a Paralegal Specialist for Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. Karon earned $128,956 in 2024. Their pay grade is 12.

Veronica White

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Bowie
Work county: Prince George's
Work state: Maryland

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 240170033
Length of Service (Years): 34
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Commerce, Veronica White serves as a Paralegal Specialist based in Bowie, Maryland. Their 2024 pay totaled $128,956. They are classified at grade 12.

Michael Domenico

Paralegal Specialist/Department of Commerce

2024 total comp

$128,956

Sub-department: Patent and Trademark Office
Base pay: $128,956
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,956
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Alexandria
Work county: Alexandria
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $128,956
Basic Pay (before locality): $96,770
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510040510
Length of Service (Years): 4
Occupation Code (OPM): 0950
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Michael Domenico is a Paralegal Specialist at Department of Commerce based in Alexandria, Virginia. 2024 total compensation came to $128,956. They are classified at grade 12.